Technical Vector Illustrations
Here are some technical drawings I made using Adobe Illustrator. These designs are rear-view illustrations of the stuff I work with in the office.
The first image was base from the chassis of a tech-manufacturer. The original illustration was kind of blurry, so I just replicated my own version of the drawing, over the old image.
I base the second image from another supplier of computer network switches. I made it as generic as possible, removing the brand name and the other distinguishing marks.
Here is a picture of the two machines combined, along with the cables:
This is just one of the many proposals that didn't make it through the first review. The details of the ports and cards are not that accurate, nor are the cables the right size. But I think these pictures show that I've learned a lot with Adobe Illustrator (and that I still have a long way to go).
The first image was base from the chassis of a tech-manufacturer. The original illustration was kind of blurry, so I just replicated my own version of the drawing, over the old image.
Retro Music Weekend
Even though the typhoon is gone, the weather here still looks gloomy. They say that it's just the usual monsoon rains, but I feel that it's more than just the typical downpour.
I've been listening to some old 90s music while doing my work. It's funny to equate 90s music as something old, because these were songs I heard (and loved) not so long ago. Maybe the rain is making me feel nostalgic.
One of the bands that kept playing on my desktop was the spunky Danish pop band, Aqua. I remember the time I heard "Barbie Girl" on the radio for the first time. I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that
it was one of those hypnotic rhythmic songs that didn't make any sense. Call it the first symptoms of LSS, but my mind started playing back the song for some time. Over time, I began to appreciate the song and the other music of Aqua.
What made me appreciate the band was that their could deliver cheesy melodies and campy music videos, much like those 90s pop bands. But they also have a serious side to their songs, like "Turn Back Time".
I came across a YouTube clip of the band singing "Barbie Girl" ten years after. They looked older and more mature, I think. They still have that playful personality that has tamed down over the passing years.
I also came across one of their latest songs, "Playmate to Jesus", which has that same serious and beautiful melody like "Turn Back Time". I'm looking forward to more wonderful songs from the band.
I've been listening to some old 90s music while doing my work. It's funny to equate 90s music as something old, because these were songs I heard (and loved) not so long ago. Maybe the rain is making me feel nostalgic.
One of the bands that kept playing on my desktop was the spunky Danish pop band, Aqua. I remember the time I heard "Barbie Girl" on the radio for the first time. I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that
it was one of those hypnotic rhythmic songs that didn't make any sense. Call it the first symptoms of LSS, but my mind started playing back the song for some time. Over time, I began to appreciate the song and the other music of Aqua.
What made me appreciate the band was that their could deliver cheesy melodies and campy music videos, much like those 90s pop bands. But they also have a serious side to their songs, like "Turn Back Time".
I came across a YouTube clip of the band singing "Barbie Girl" ten years after. They looked older and more mature, I think. They still have that playful personality that has tamed down over the passing years.
I also came across one of their latest songs, "Playmate to Jesus", which has that same serious and beautiful melody like "Turn Back Time". I'm looking forward to more wonderful songs from the band.
Inkle Software (for Interactive Literature)
One of my friends referred me to this site, telling me that it's a new HTML5 application that enables people to write interactive stories similar to those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the site and found myself tinkering with the "inklewriter" application. This innovative tool allows people to write and publish interactive stories. The tool is also geared towards e-learning, allowing teachers to create interactive modules that allow students to make choices and learn from their inputs.
I signed up and tried making a short interactive story, much like one of those narratives with multiple alternate storyline that lead to multiple endings. The tool's GUI looks interesting but it does take some time to learn the interface and make the changes/customizations that you want. You can also upload pictures to add some flair to your interactive stories.
Personally I believe the application has potential, but there is room for development. One thing I noticed was the lack of sample stories. I wanted to read the stories of other account users but there are none available. The stories are kept private, unless you know the URL of a specific writer's masterpiece.
The site currently offers an interactive story available to Ipad users. The story is a retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, written by Dave Morris. They even have a teaser advertisement out in YouTube, promoting the story and the Inkle Application.
Too bad the site is currently geared towards Ipad users. I hope they'd tap into the Android market as well. I'm sure there are a lot of writers and booklovers out there who would like to read the story in their Android phones/tablets.
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the site and found myself tinkering with the "inklewriter" application. This innovative tool allows people to write and publish interactive stories. The tool is also geared towards e-learning, allowing teachers to create interactive modules that allow students to make choices and learn from their inputs.
I signed up and tried making a short interactive story, much like one of those narratives with multiple alternate storyline that lead to multiple endings. The tool's GUI looks interesting but it does take some time to learn the interface and make the changes/customizations that you want. You can also upload pictures to add some flair to your interactive stories.
Personally I believe the application has potential, but there is room for development. One thing I noticed was the lack of sample stories. I wanted to read the stories of other account users but there are none available. The stories are kept private, unless you know the URL of a specific writer's masterpiece.
The site currently offers an interactive story available to Ipad users. The story is a retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, written by Dave Morris. They even have a teaser advertisement out in YouTube, promoting the story and the Inkle Application.
Too bad the site is currently geared towards Ipad users. I hope they'd tap into the Android market as well. I'm sure there are a lot of writers and booklovers out there who would like to read the story in their Android phones/tablets.
Android Tablet for the Kids (A Coby Kyros 1042 Review)
I managed to convince Jen to buy a new Android tablet for the kids, something affordable that can function as an educational/learning tool. She was reluctant at first, but I showed her a few educational android apps and had the kids play them on my phone. Watching the kids' delightful reactions made the decision much easier.
I've been looking at the Coby Kyros MID 1042 tablet for some time now. It is a 10.1 Inch Capacitive Multi-Touch 16:9 Widescreen tablet, powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here are the reasons why I bought this tablet over the other Android tablet brands:
1. Price/Affordability - The Coby Kyros 1042 tablet fits my budget. I bought my unit at the price of 7.3k pesos.
2. Size - I prefer bigger tablets so the kids won't have a hard time looking at the images.
3. Choice of Android Applications - There are tons of applications out in the market. I did encounter some problems installing Google Play, but I found a good work-around solution for that.
4. Capacitive/Multi-touch feature - This is a must-have feature for me. I don't like the resistive feature of the cheaper Apad tablets and the kids still lack the needed "finger strength" to navigate through the screen.
5. Reliable Brand Name - Coby has been around for some time now. I think they make good products and the seller assured me that my tablet came with a one-year service warranty.
My unit came with a charger, earphones, a user manual, and a carry pouch for the tablet. The first time I held the unit, I noticed how heavy it was (1.5 lbs compared to other tablets). The screen resolution is okay for me, not at par with the Apple IPad, but good enough for its price. The built-in sound speaker is at the back and the quality is not that good. You won't be able to hear much from the device when the TV and electric fans are turned on. It also has a front-facing 0.3MP camera which I think is mainly used as a web-cam. You'd be better off taking pictures with a digital camera than with this tablet. I am satisfied with the tablet's WiFi network performance and I still haven't tested the HDMI port.
Now the biggest issue I encountered with the tablet was the fact that it lacked Google Play. Coby Kryos tablets come with its own GetJar app which downloads applications for the tablet. Unfortunately, GetJar has a poor selection of Android applications. I read somewhere that most Android tablet manufacturers pay Google in order for them to have Google Play (and probably other Google applications) work with their tablets. But since Coby opted not to pay a premium for Google, their tablets don't have the usual Google apps.
Most Coby tablet users must go through the process of rooting their tablets to install Google Play. Since the Coby 1042 is still a relatively new product, I was unable find a reliable online source that could properly instruct me on how to root my tablet and install the Google Play application. I did get several alternative solutions, which enabled me to install the Android apps I wanted (even without Google Play):
1. Manually search for the APK file online and install it on the tablet -- I've been doing this before with my old Palm T3 and Palm Lifedrive units. Sites like www.4shared.com and www.freewarelovers.com/android offer a wide choice of apps which users can download and install in their Android tablets. It might not be as glamorous as having Google Play search and install apps for you, but the results are the same.
2. Install the Amazon App Store -- Amazon has its own version of Google Play, which is the Amazon App Store. You need to have an Amazon account for this application to work. I did install the App Store on my Coby tablet and got it running. Unfortunately I was unable to download apps because of regional service issues.
3. Install the 1Mobile Market App -- Here is another alternative to Google Play and Amazon AppStore. 1Moble Market offers a wide selection of Android applications. I think this application is better than Google Play and Amazon App Store because you don't need to have a Google or Amazon account to download apps. I installed the 1Mobile Market App on my tablet and successfully installed all the toddler educational apps I needed for my kids.
Overall, I am happy with my new Coby Kyros 1042 tablet. It is something that my family loves. The kids enjoyed the educational games and Jen couldn't stay away from the word puzzle app I installed. I still want to install other applications on the unit, as soon as I get some alone time with it.
I've been looking at the Coby Kyros MID 1042 tablet for some time now. It is a 10.1 Inch Capacitive Multi-Touch 16:9 Widescreen tablet, powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here are the reasons why I bought this tablet over the other Android tablet brands:
1. Price/Affordability - The Coby Kyros 1042 tablet fits my budget. I bought my unit at the price of 7.3k pesos.
2. Size - I prefer bigger tablets so the kids won't have a hard time looking at the images.
3. Choice of Android Applications - There are tons of applications out in the market. I did encounter some problems installing Google Play, but I found a good work-around solution for that.
4. Capacitive/Multi-touch feature - This is a must-have feature for me. I don't like the resistive feature of the cheaper Apad tablets and the kids still lack the needed "finger strength" to navigate through the screen.
5. Reliable Brand Name - Coby has been around for some time now. I think they make good products and the seller assured me that my tablet came with a one-year service warranty.
My unit came with a charger, earphones, a user manual, and a carry pouch for the tablet. The first time I held the unit, I noticed how heavy it was (1.5 lbs compared to other tablets). The screen resolution is okay for me, not at par with the Apple IPad, but good enough for its price. The built-in sound speaker is at the back and the quality is not that good. You won't be able to hear much from the device when the TV and electric fans are turned on. It also has a front-facing 0.3MP camera which I think is mainly used as a web-cam. You'd be better off taking pictures with a digital camera than with this tablet. I am satisfied with the tablet's WiFi network performance and I still haven't tested the HDMI port.Now the biggest issue I encountered with the tablet was the fact that it lacked Google Play. Coby Kryos tablets come with its own GetJar app which downloads applications for the tablet. Unfortunately, GetJar has a poor selection of Android applications. I read somewhere that most Android tablet manufacturers pay Google in order for them to have Google Play (and probably other Google applications) work with their tablets. But since Coby opted not to pay a premium for Google, their tablets don't have the usual Google apps.
Most Coby tablet users must go through the process of rooting their tablets to install Google Play. Since the Coby 1042 is still a relatively new product, I was unable find a reliable online source that could properly instruct me on how to root my tablet and install the Google Play application. I did get several alternative solutions, which enabled me to install the Android apps I wanted (even without Google Play):
1. Manually search for the APK file online and install it on the tablet -- I've been doing this before with my old Palm T3 and Palm Lifedrive units. Sites like www.4shared.com and www.freewarelovers.com/android offer a wide choice of apps which users can download and install in their Android tablets. It might not be as glamorous as having Google Play search and install apps for you, but the results are the same.
2. Install the Amazon App Store -- Amazon has its own version of Google Play, which is the Amazon App Store. You need to have an Amazon account for this application to work. I did install the App Store on my Coby tablet and got it running. Unfortunately I was unable to download apps because of regional service issues.
3. Install the 1Mobile Market App -- Here is another alternative to Google Play and Amazon AppStore. 1Moble Market offers a wide selection of Android applications. I think this application is better than Google Play and Amazon App Store because you don't need to have a Google or Amazon account to download apps. I installed the 1Mobile Market App on my tablet and successfully installed all the toddler educational apps I needed for my kids.
Overall, I am happy with my new Coby Kyros 1042 tablet. It is something that my family loves. The kids enjoyed the educational games and Jen couldn't stay away from the word puzzle app I installed. I still want to install other applications on the unit, as soon as I get some alone time with it.
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