Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts

Saturday, November 22, 2014

'Tis the Season to be Jolly with Taiwan Excellence's Christmas Contest

We, Filipinos, love the Christmas season. 

We put-up our Christmas tree, reward carolers for singing Christmas songs, religiously attend simbang gabi, and prepare Noche Buena feasts. It’s a long-standing tradition that’s been followed even before I was born. 

Gift-giving has also played a crucial part of this country’s Yuletide season. Most of you may remember bringing canned goods and packed noodles to school in celebration of White Gifts Sunday. Although a Methodist started this tradition, some schools in the Philippines continue to honor it. And just like us, Taiwan Excellence recognizes how special Christmas is for us. This is why they have offered to fulfill 10 Filipino’s “Grown-up Wish list” through the Taiwan Excellence- Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest.

Taiwan Excellence-Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest Flyer

And let’s face it! The act of giving is far more rewarding than the act of receiving. 

Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest Details

By simply visiting and registering in the Made To Enjoy The Life website, you will have the opportunity to win your loved one a special present this Christmas. All it takes is choosing a Taiwan Excellence product and sharing your reason for choosing that person.

Taiwan Excellence Products

Have you joined the contest yet? If you haven't, do so now. You might be one of the ten lucky winners to give your special loved one the gift they solely deserve. As an added bonus, Iya Villania-Arellano, Taiwan Excellence Celebrity Endorser, might be the secret Santa to deliver it at their doorstep.

The Taiwan Excellence seal is found in Taiwanese brands that excel in quality, innovation, and good value for money. Products you may have already used include Acer, Asus, MSI, and even Pacific. These four are just some of the ones well-known worldwide.

With the assistance TAITRA, the Taiwan Excellence campaign was launched in the Philippines with the purpose of providing Filipinos better Taiwan-made products, or as Taiwan has put it: Bringing Excellent Lifestyle in the Philippines.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Taiwan Excellence to the Philippines: A Tech-Savvy Blogger's Perspective

What does Asus, Acer, D-Link, and Transcend have in common? They're all brands proudly based in Taiwan. These four powerhouses are also names normally sought after by consumers looking for cheap yet reliable electronic gadgets and devices. Ironically, some people still believe that these brands are from the US. For that said reason, it's important for the world to learn about Taiwan Excellence.

Taiwan Excellence to the World

The Taiwan Excellence Award is given to companies who continually challenge themselves in creating innovative and high-quality products that stand out in the industry. Among Taiwan's forerunners are Asus and Acer. Both are well-known for building laptops, tablets, and even mobile phones with specifications as powerful as their US counterparts.


These brands don't stop at competitive pricing and ingenuity. They broaden their reach by creating ads and marketing strategies focused on the masses, rather than just the Tech community.

An Act of Ingenuity

Back in the days, when people asked what router worked best with PLDT DSL, most computer stores would immediately point to D-Link. Compatibility-wise, D-Link was easier to set-up compared to Netgear and Cisco. This, alone, made Taiwan's brand a highly-recommended product to multiple subscribers. Not only was D-Link able to ensure its product's purchase, but is also created a demand that no other brand could supply.


Customer Loyalty


When memory cards were first sold, Transcend was among the brands that stood out. It went neck-and-neck against SanDisk, Imation, and Kingston. Years later, some users still rely on Transcend because they're cheap and durable. While others have switched due to preference, there's no denying that the brand has now garnered continued patronage for its continued excellent quality and performance.

Bottom Line
There are so many times where people assume that a good electronics brand can only come from the "Land of the Free". Now, Filipinos can rely on brands that are closer to home.

With a design inspired by the spirit of fulfillment in their traditional culture, the Taiwan Excellence Seal provides the world a means to recognize brands and products that are, in fact, made in Taiwan.

Disclaimer: Although this post is sponsored, my opinions are my own.
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

How to Root Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 (Newbie Guide with Pictures)

Last time, I discussed about restoring/ resetting/ reformatting your Samsung Galaxy Y. This helps with problems regarding slow android phones and frequent "forced close" apps.

For one, a friend of mine paid a whopping 250 php simply to have her phone reformatted because she couldn't text or call or do anything functional with it. That's a less-than-5-minute process. Others have actually charged her 500 php when all they had to do was do a hard reset/reformat.

So, for my first tip of the day: LEARN HOW TO REFORMAT/ HARD RESET YOUR SAMSUNG GALAXY Y.

Rooting a Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 is actually easier than rooting a MyPhone A818g
Let's get down to business, shall we.

Rooting... Why should I root my phone? (in layman's words)

To be honest, I've barely rooted my phone. And to be more embarrassingly honest, I have bricked  a MyPhone A818 because I was dying to root it. So why do we root?

1. Rooting your android phone can help you adjust the parameters for which your phone is functioning e.g. kill bloatware and manufacturer apps that hog up battery life.

2. Rooting your Samsung Galaxy Y will allow you to install custom roms. Mine, at the moment, is running on ChobitsDigitalis ROM.

3. Rooting gives you that SuperUser icon that looks so cool because it shows you have the briefest idea of what you just did. Oh, and having superuser rights allow you to download the infamous ClockWorkMod/ ROM Manager.

FAQs:

1. Is rooting the Galaxy GT-S5360 difficult? 

No.

2. Do I need to back up my old files? 

In this case, no. They will remain there. 

However, just to be safe, when it comes to tweaking, rooting or installing custom roms, backing-up your files is an imperative.

3. What do I need to root my Samsung Galaxy Y?

a. your computer, to download the update.zip
b. a USB cable to transfer the files from your download folder to your SD card.
c. a Samsung Galaxy Y that has a minimum charge of 50%
d. your concentration

4. If I accidentally install the update.zip more than once, will I brick my phone?

Not to my knowledge. While doing this article, I actually rooted my Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 3 times. Just don't try it for the sake of testing the theory.

5. Will this update.zip work on Galaxy Y Duos?

I haven't tried it (for the absence of a Duos phone). However, I strongly advice for you to look for a Samsung Galaxy Y Duos root instead. 

How do I root my Samsung Galaxy Y?

1. First, download the update.zip.

2. Attach your USB cable to your computer's USB port with the other end on your phone.

USB Connected notification in android phones.
3. Once you see the notification 'USB Connected', just press it and choose "Connect USB Storage". Press "OK" on the next prompt. Your green Android will turn orange and the phone's memory will become visible under 'Devices with Removable Storage'.

Some devices will have another pop-up message before green Android turns orange. Just press 'OK' if this notification pops out.
4. Copy the update.zip into the main folder.

Main folder just means the very first window that opens when you click on 'Removable Disk'
5. Once done, go to your phone again and select  "Disconnect USB Storage".

6. Turn off your phone in preparation for 'Android System Recovery'.

7. Once it's off, press the Volume Up, Home button and Power Button simultaneously. Once the Samsung Galaxy Y logo appears, just let it go  

8. Using the Volume Button as your scroll keys, just press it to go to "apply update from sdcard". Press the "Home" button to choose the update.zip package.

9. Scroll down again to highlight update.zip. Press "Home" again to install the zip.

Select update.zip. If you accidentally placed the zip file in another folder, just select the folder name (the one with a / after each word) and choose update.zip
10. It's a pretty quick process. Once it's done, your phone will have the message on its screen saying: You've been rooted! Install from sdcard complete.

11. Select "reboot system now" and we're done with rooting. You should now see the superuser icon in your menu.

Viola! Now, you've successfully rooted your Samsung Galaxy Y.
And that's how the cookie crumbles, folks.
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Monday, November 11, 2013

Smartphone Usage Statistics Highlight Its Importance In Our Lives

Smartphone Ownership Infographic


This Infographic is produced by Coupon Audit (provides Toms promo code) and Digital Brew.

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Friday, October 4, 2013

What I Like and Hate about Being a Sun Cellular Postpaid Subscriber...

It's probably crazy for me to say this, especially when my last bill amounted to 1,600 php... something far from my anticipated 900 php (650 php originating from my original plan), but I do like Sun Cellular's Postpaid.

Anyway, let's get to the list of my pros and cons on being a Sun Postpaid subscriber based on my first hand experience.


1. Cheap. Getting a plan at 350 php where you have unlimited Sun to Sun calls and texts to other Sun users is simply advantageous to us. Most of us have sun lines so it figures that owning a Sun prepaid or postpaid line is too practical to miss out on.

Just imagine how much you can save when you can call your loved ones with their Sun-to-Sun Unlimited Calls.
2. Detailed Billing Statement. What's nice about Sun's billing statement is it's exact to the point, particularly on call minutes, the numbers you've called and the time you did it. Text, One Time Charges and Give-a-Loads are also included among your sun billing statement. I haven't experienced dealing with hidden charges with Sun before.

This is just part of a typical Sun Cellular billing statement. I like that every single call is logged, as well as, the number of text messages you've sent to the different networks.
I've been a Smart prepaid user ever since I've had my second phone (prior to this I was using Globe services). Prepaid was a lot safer. Then I decided to try Globe Postpaid (back then their cheapest plan included a Nokia 3315 at 800 pesos), after one of my bill ballooned to a whopping 2,500 php (without a trace of its details), I decided to keep daily logs of the number of text messages and calls I made. I listed them all.... 

Then I get another bill that surpassed my tracked usage (I was sure my bill wouldn't reach 1,000 php, but I still paid 2,800 pesos for it). It was crazy. I decided to terminate my plan because they themselves weren't able to give my any detailed explanations either.

3.  Sun Cellular's Loyalty Perks. One of the things I hate about renewing a contract is having to visit Sun Shops over and over again because they don't have the unit you want. Fortunately, if you belong in Sun's Loyalty, customers get to have their new Sun Cellular phone delivered at their doorstep.

It says warehouse inspected. So far, all units have been functioning well.
Note: We just had a couple of Nokia Asha 501's delivered to our house after calling their Loyalty line 1822. What I didn't like was that all their cases were in black... which I guess isn't a big deal.

4. Less Paperwork for Newbies.Most of my work is online. I don't have sufficient documents to prove how much I earn. Of course, I was confident I could pay 350 php/month. So what I did was take advantage of their Postpaid Line with Sim Only. After 8 months (out of 6, which was because I waited for a better phone), I got into Sun's Loyalty program and upgraded my plan to Sun Cellular's Regular Postpaid Plan 450. Now, I'm the proud owner of a robust MyPhone A919.

5. Customized Mobile Number. This is what sets Sun among the rest. I love that customers can select their own number. 

Disadvantages of Owning a Sun Postpaid Line

1. Some of their Agents are Unaware of the Sun Promos. Back when Sun had their Sun Group Plan 999 High and Low Deal, one of the shop agents insisted they didn't have it. We had to convince him to check the website. After confirming it existed, he asked us what unit we wanted. After telling him our preferences, he took out his log book saying the unit wasn't available, which brings me to my next issue.

Note: This goes for their customer agents. One of them, named Tony, told me there was no such thing as a High and Low Deal. After arguing with him that there was was, he finally looked it up and retracted his statement.

2. Unit Availability. I don't know why they always lack Nokia and Samsung units. They already know that most of their customers will always prefer these brands, yet months have passed and they still don't have it. So it doesn't matter if you put your name on the log book. There's a fat chance that you'll still end up with the unit they say they have available at the moment.

3. Getting a Hold of a Customer Service Representative can Take TOO LONG. Calling the Sun Hotline can be a chore. Sometimes, I could hear that annoying song in my head over and over again.  I guess this is because they have a lot of customers (which means that they have to increase their overhead).

4. Area of Coverage. Although Sun Cellular has gone a long way in terms of network coverage, there are still areas in the province where they have limited to zero signal.

Note: We've not yet experienced having a defective phone so I haven't had to deal with the trauma of returning one to them. Hopefully, all our units remain healthy and robust as they are now.

We have a single problem with the Nokia Asha 501. Sometimes, the person at the other line could not hear us when we call her and vice versa. It has happened 3 times already (within a span of 1 month).

Good or bad experiences are welcomed in this post. Please feel free to express your love or hate with your Sun Cellular Postpaid Subscription.

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Friday, June 28, 2013

How to Change Sim 1 & Sim 2 Message Ringtone in Cherry Mobile Flare (with Pics)

 This is a follow-up to one of the questions asked in my post regarding the Cherry Mobile Flare Update
Chilo Chua commented...
Bossing is it possible ba na magkaroon ng magka-ibang message alert tone ang sim 1 and sim 2?
Since I wasn't a big fan of reading manuals, I decided to search for an Android app that could do this. To which I failed in epic proportions!

Well, here's the thing. I just found out about it awhile ago (BY ACCIDENT). LOL. Forgive me for my ignorance.

Anyway, for those who are asking how to change Cherry Mobile Flare's message ringtone for Sim 1 and Sim 2, here it is.

1. Press the message icon to access your SMS.

Feel free to ignore the adorable looking puppy that's enjoying our slippers.
2. Press the highlighted icon (based on the Flare image below) so you can press on the "settings" tab next.

Changing the Cherry Mobile Flare SMS Ringtone Settings Step 2.
3. Press "Settings" and scroll down.

This one's a little blurry. 
4. Under "Notifications" you will find "Select SIM1 ringtone" and "Select SIM2 ringtone"

Finally, a chance to change Sim 1 and Sim 2 message ringtone.
There you can select between Cherry Mobile Flare's music and your own Media Music collection.

Media Music, anyone?

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Updating Cherry Mobile Flare with Pics (Newbie Guide)

So, we all know that the Cherry Mobile Flare came with a lot of perks...and flaws. For instance, the FM Radio app wasn't present in its initial build. And there were problems with the G-Sensor and SMS Auto-Rotate.

Some hours ago, I found out that the update to fix these Cherry Mobile Flare issues has been released. Of course, everybody who wanted it badly went through Cherry Mobile's link to Drop Box.

Which turned out to be an epic failure...

Note: I just dropped by Cherry Mobile's site and was glad to see that they finally uploaded it there and a Mirror Site (*cough* Drop Box). 

I have to admit, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. So even with the simplest instructions quoted below, I still had to do it twice before I got it right.

1. Save the update file to the root of the SD card. Turn off the phone.  Make sure phone is charged at least 15%.
2. Press and hold Power+volume Up for a few seconds. It will display first a green screen.
3. Release the button after the screen shows a red display to show the Android sytem revocery.
4. Select apply update from external storage' and select the update file. Use volume keys to select and power key to confirm.
5. The phone will update. After update is finish, select reboot system now. 
Source
Here's some additional information on the entire process. Hopefully, I'd be able to help others who are in the same predicament as I was.

UPDATING CHERRY MOBILE FLARE STEP 1 FAQ. Where the hell is this root?

After tethering your phone to your PC, this message should pop out.  Once you click on "Open device to view files", that folder will be the root.
Note: USB mode is expected to be on MTP.

Flare will have the label S100. This is where you're supposed to copy the file that you just downloaded from Cherry Mobile.
UPDATING CHERRY MOBILE FLARE STEP 2 WARNING. Make sure to read all the steps before doing the procedure. I let go of the buttons at step 2 reason why my phone didn't go red as mentioned in Step 3.

UPDATING CHERRY MOBILE FLARE STEP 3. Once your screen turns red (mine was reddish pink than red), that's when you should let go. Now, wait for the screen shown below to appear.
Use the volume key to navigate your way to "apply update from external storage" and press the power button for confirmation

UPDATING CHERRY MOBILE FLARE STEP 4. If my memory serves me right, you'd still need to look for the msm7627a-ota-TBW59.... item (which will probably be the first choice on the next screen) and confirm.

UPDATING CHERRY MOBILE FLARE STEP 5. The phone will update.

Just like this...

Once you get the "Install from sdcard complete." message, just select  "reboot system now".

When your phone is  done rebooting, you should see something like this on your "About phone" menu.

Finally!
I hope this has helped. Please take note that I am no Android expert. Heck, it took me two tries before I got it right. Good luck!

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Friday, July 6, 2012

Jailbreaking iPhone 3GS 5.1.1 for Newbies (No Network, No Service, Searching...)

I am making this post because it took me two days to fully jailbreak an iPhone 3GS my friend asked me to. Normally,, a click of the button labeled "Jailbreak" should do the trick. However, this one in particular was already jailbroken but some of things normally enjoyed by JB users weren't there.

So here are the reasons you may have decided to use this post:

1. The newly Jailbroken Task Manager isn't working as it should be.
2. You're experiencing the "Sim is not Valid" screen.
3. You can't further activate your iPhone 3GS (just like in number 2)
4. You've updated to 5.1.1 from 3.1.3 and don't know how to deal with it.
5. You have the "No Service" signal
6. You are stuck with "Searching..."

Before we go to the nitty gritty part of Jailbreaking iPhone 3GS running on 5.1.1. You'll have to determine when your iPhone 3GS was manufactured. The Serial Number can be found in two places.

1. One is in the About section of your iPhone. That would be on Settings> General> About.
2. Two would be on your Sim Tray (this is when you are unable to go to the About page). So pop out that Sim Tray and check for your Serial Number.

How to determine iPhone's Serial Number?

You will need to determine the date/week of the iPhone's manufacture date. Disregard the first two serial numbers. The next three are the crucial ones.

Say for example your SN is  86022******

Disregard 86
022 means it was created during the 22nd week of 2010 (where 0 in 022 is the year and 22 is the week)

Why redsn0w?


First, I tried Absinthe 2.0.4 and Snowbreeze. 

Snowbreeze (with the help of iTunes) was able to successfully customize the firmware but unfortunately, I encountered the "No Service" and "Searching" problem.

Absinthe 2.0.4 will not re-Jailbreak an already Jailbroken device. It was a Rocky Racoon jailbreak issue.

Now, we need to prepare the following:

Redsn0w_win_0.9.14b1 or later version

Now What?!?

NOTE: If you've Jailbroken your phone already, don't forget to back up your data and restore your phone to a regular, non-customized firmware. Before we start anything else, don't forget to attach your phone to the cable.

ANOTHER NOTE: For Windows XP users, you'll need to right-click the redsn0w application and Run as Administrator.

1. Open redsn0w
2. Go to Extras
3. Click Select IPSW
4. Select the Firmware of your iPhone 3GS ( iPhone2,1_5.1.1_9B206_Restore)


5. The firmware should be successfully identified (Bottom Picture Labeled 1)
6. You will be prompted whether your bootrom is New or Fixed (Bottom Picture Labeled 2). Make sure you've read this prompt (especially the one highlighted in RED)!


7. Now, you can select Back and click on Jailbreak. After "Preparing jailbreak data" is done. Place a check on "Install Cydia" and "Install iPad baseband".

IMPORTANT NOTE: A prompt will appear again saying that you might brick your phone if you've ticked this and your phone was manufactured later than the 34th week of 2011 (e.g. SN **134******)

The bottom picture should be pop out after clicking on Next.

If your iPhone is connected, there should be the words "Connected: iPhone 3GS (.....).

8. You can now either follow the prompt by clicking on "Next" to provide you the process of doing DFU mode or you can download iREB in the link to teach you how.

9. In DFU Mode, a new message will pop out in Redsnow saying "Fetching iPad Baseband files (please be patient)."

NOTE: This took approximately 5 minutes in my machine. Then there will be more messages such as 

Exploiting limera1n
Uploading first stage
Uploading second stage
Uploading ram disk
Rebooting
Then, we wait while your iPhone does its magic. Complete the iPhone prompts and insert your sim to see if you get a signal. If not... here are the next steps to follow.

10. Open Cydia
11. Press on Manage> Sources> Edit> Add
12. Type in http://repo.iparelhos.com and press on Add Source
13. Wait for the "black" screen to be done.
14. Go to search and type in Ultrasnow Fixer.
15. Install that and look for Ultrasnow. Install this as well.

In a minute, your phone should have found your network. If not, reboot your iPhone. Time to install Installous. The latest as of this post's creation is Installous 5. Follow these steps:

16. Follow steps 10-12.
17. Type in http://cydia.hackulo.us and press on Add Source.
18. Wait for the "black" screen and press "Restart Springboard".

Viola...PHEW! I hope this helps.
 
Some of these steps were taken from the following references:


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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Gadgets Galore: Hacking Eseries

If there be an office supply addict blogger, then why not a gadget addict. I love gadgets. I love spending on them and taking care of them like babies. I'm not the type of person who prefers brand new ones. I settle for second hand before of which I purchase I do a thorough inspection of first. Of course, not all of them are second hand.

My resume for gadget lust currently include an HP laptop, a Samsung dual sim phone, a Nokia PDA phone, a JVC Camcorder, a desktop computer, an mp3 player and a Gameboy Advance SP (since we lost the PSP). Previously I've also owned a Nokia 6630, a Palm Tungsten 3 PDA, a Motorola A1000 touchscreen phone, three dual-sim china phones, an 02 XDA Stealth, PS 1 and 2 (I'm unsure if those are gadgets), an mp3 player and an annual cellular phone replacement plan (I love having my phone replaced every year.)

It'd be rude if I wouldn't pamper these things, so I do my best to install the best firmwares, upgrades, programs, games, movies and mp3s to the majority of them. I used to love the challenge of fixing series 60 phones. I did troubleshooting, reformatting, virus removals (Remember the commwarrior?), and the likes for a minimal price of a thank you or an I.O.U note (In other words, I do it for FREE.).

Right now, what I want to talk about is my not-so-new E61 phone. A couple of weeks ago, I had another of those gadget-cravings I get almost in a monthly basis and I wasn't able to resist it. I had to get a new one (be it used or pre-loved as they say it to make it sound more sophisticated). Anyway, I was really lucky because I got it at a very good price @ 4300 php and later discovered that it actually came from a post paid plan which made it even better. So far, it's working like a charm.

So I got all excited about placing a lot of games in it. After browsing a certain website and downloading some games I wanted to try out, I installed them instantly. Everything went okay until I started searching for applications such as an antivirus, an office and a movie player. While I was searching, I noticed that most of the applications had the word UNSIGNED attached to it. Still, I downloaded them (assuming that installation was the same as for any regular series 60 phones). Unfortunately when I attempted installing them, it gave out a certificate error message. So I checked the forums about this issue, to find out that I had to hack my phone.

Note: Yet again, Nokia and its fellow Symbian companies had figured out a way for us to not fully enjoy cracked applications without a sweat. Most phones are unhacked. In order for you to be able to install the unsigned applications, you have to have it hacked. Without the hack (or crack), only signed applications are installable.

It actually took me a day to figure out how to do it.

OPTION 1: HELLO CARBIDE
Hello Carbide is a program for you to be able install unsigned applications. However, you will need X-plore so that you could browse through some of your phone's hidden folders. I'm not sure if you'll be able to find a signed X-plore but if you do, problem solved. I wasn't able to try downloading a trial version to temporarily install Hello Carbide. You can try this.


OPTION 2:HELLO0X
1. Get a Certificate (some websites hand it for free. They will ask for your phone model and your IMEI).

2. Download Hello0x (I think the latest is 2.02. You can download it for free buy they charge 5 dollars for a certificate.)
3. Attach the certificate to the HelloOx application and install it to your phone.

OPTION 3: DRAKKARIOUS (effective but a little risky. Had to reformat my phone 3 times to get this one right).
1. Download Drakkarious application for you phone (This will include an X-plore, Hello Carbide, Caps ON, Caps Off).
2. Install and make sure you select the correct model of your phone. (For the Eseries, the reason why I had to reformat was because after installing Drakkarious and following all the instructions, I kept losing the "bin" folder and I could not install any unsigned applications- it just shows a white screen and goes back to normal. The trick is to select PRE-FP1 instead of OTHERS/ SPECIFICS).
3. There are times that X-plore included in the package will say "Update Error". All you have to do is uninstall X-Plore and reinstall a newly cracked one. It will say that Drakkarious will be uninstalled, do not panic. Just say OK and reinstall it later.

Hope this helps. I am not a programmer, hacker or cracker. I'm just a technician. Rather than spending money on those Cellular Phone Techs at Greenhills or wherever, try doing it yourself. Believe me, it'll give you a sense of accomplishment. In addition, you'll even get to realize what a rip-off they are for their unreasonable service fee for uploading something into your phone that they just downloaded from the net.
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