Friday, July 04, 2008

Randy and I went to Smart Wireless Center located at Cyberzone, North EDSA, Quezon City.

I retained my Smart Gold subscription plan but, I didn't liked the FREE HANDSETs available under Retention Plan: Sony Ericsson W910i, Sony Ericsson P1i, Nokia 6500c, nor the Nokia E65. So, I picked instead N82 Warm titanium, and paid Php 6,000.

We did some grocery shopping before going home.

At home, Randy bakes bread and cake while preparing dinner. I was too excited to explore N82 features but I think I corrupted the installation of NSeries PC Suite in my PC. It failed to communicate with my N82 device due to a mistake when I stopped Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 installation, as it was taking long time. I forgot that the Microsoft .NET Framework is a platform that connects information, people, systems, and devices.

Worst of all, when exploring my N82 device, I got this message: Sim card registration failed.. I checked online and found out that many mobile users encountered the same problem. I called *888 from Tintin's cellphone but customer care gave me a Smart Hotline to call: 8110211. The problem was still there so I asked my son to fix it. Voila, my new cellphone is working again!

Anyway, if anyone of you encountered similar situation, reboot your cellphone. And, also, make sure your SIM card registers your new cellphone model, even though your new handset has pre-loaded phone settings...

To set-up MMS/GPRS/3G, text SET <handset model> and send to 211. Example: "SET MMS N82"
NOTE: Save your MMS/GPRS/3G settings upon download. Key in 1234 when prompted .
To activate MMS/GPRS/3G feature: Key in "MMS ON" and send to 3401.

Smart Mobile Services:
* 3G
* i-mode™
* MMS and GPRS
* MMS Mail
* Mobile Decode
* Mobile Exchange
* Mobile Internet
* myTV
* Voice Txt

Oopppsss... time to sleep: phone has low battery... I missed my daughter, she's the one doing all these settings and pc installation for me.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

This morning, daughter had been going back and forth in Unit P to get her cellphone back. On the third visit, she met the culprit and immediately returned to my daughter her lost SAMSUNG D500 cellphone but, without its cover!

My daughet, Pearl, found out that a sim card had been inserted based on new messages sent under sent folder. Its unbelievable that this old taxi driver would know how to turn off that unit unless he's well familiar with high-end phones. Pearl also mentioned that she saw our neighbor was using a PDA when she's knocking at the taxi window. She calmly ignored her as if she didn't hear nor see her asking for her cellphone that was left at the spot where she moved her butt.

Anyway, although we know she was just forced to return the unit, thanks to God daughter recovered her cellphone back. Living without telephone line set us back as we had lost contact with friends, families, and clients. I hate PLDT for causing us all this inconveniences. I still have to draft my complaint letter to NTC against PLDT's illegal disconnection of our phone line, a possible strategy to avoid returning my rebates for DSL payments I made since last May this year when their DSL service turned into a nightmare!

Since daughter had sleepless night worrying about her cellphone, only Paul Denise accompanied me to hear the 5 pm mass at the Lady of Hope Parish near Cyberzone SM North EDSA. Today was the First Sunday of Advent and the first reading was Jeremiah 33:14-16. The second reading was 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 and the Gospel was Luke 21:25-28, 34-36. Rev. Fr. Bart Sagadal said the mass.

After the mass, we went to Smart Communications and upgraded my Plan 1200 to Plan 1800. While waiting for approval, we had dinner at Pizza Hut with Pearl, Shiela, and her sister, who all meet us at Smart Business Office. After an hour, we went back to Smart, my plan had been approved and a NOKIA 6233 unit has been given for free. Its lock-in period is two years but I could get a new unit for free by June 2008! I'm happy with my NOKIA 6630 so I gave the new cellphone to Pearl, who will be celebrating her birthday on the 5th. As a bonus for my son, Paul Denise, for being faithful today, I told Pearl to pass on to her brother her SAMSUNG D500! Then, I instructed her to auction Paul Denise's old cellphone unit for cash as her birthday allowance.

Meanwhile, Randy had been ill these past few days and fixing electrical wiring at the attic made his flu worse. I felt bad that I couldn't do anything as we are 7,401 kilometers away from each other. Anyway, we have only twelve days to deal with and we're going to see each other again. When he logged in the morning (on his side), I told him that I got a new NOKIA 6233 from Smart! I sold some blogs that we're trading in Blogshares and then we recited the rosary before he went to hear mass with Judy and Carlos. I then logged out and went to bed.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Pacette arrived at 7 am this morning and we left to RTC to attend a hearing for Case II, for the Correction of my Birth Record.

Our case is number 9th in the court calendar. The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed its Notice of Appearance on July 27, 2006 and delegated authority to the Prosecutor's Office to represent the State in the instant case. My counsel undertook to furnish the Prosecutor a copy of the Petition within 5 days from today.

Next hearing is on October 18th at 8:30 am. As usual, I gave Atty. R her appearance fee before Pacette and I went to Smart Wireless Center and Abenson.

At Cyberzone, I went to Smart Wireless Center first and took a number then I proceeded to Abenson to claim the washing machine hose. We found out that all new washing machine does not provide any hose anymore but, they gave me a free laundry basket instead, as part of their washing machine promo.

We then went back to Smart Wireless Center and I complained about the annoying experience we had in Hong Kong when incoming calls and text messages failed to get through my mobile. Text messages had been sent a day later and identical messages were sent repeatedly in different times. When I verified how much international roaming calls and text have I spent for the entire Hong Kong trip, the Php 5000 I paid in advance had all been consumed!

When Ate Neth picked up her Chinese slimming tea last night, she told me that even Smart's local SMS were received and sent late since we were in Hong Kong, cited her experience with her text message to mama as an example.

Anyway, am upset that the correction of my birth record is causing us so much time and money. I was wondering how many more months will I have to wait to get favorable result...

Meanwhile, Randy made it to San Diego minus his luggage at past 3 in the afternoon my time. PAL flight to SFO had been delayed and unable to release his luggage. United Airlines will deliver his luggage tomorrow.

Unfortunately, we're not able to recite the rosary before he left to work because his rosary and prayer book were inside his luggage. Also, he's still suffering from severe pain on his left lower rib, which he got when he lifted one of our luggages out of the bus service in Hong kong airport.

Get well soon, Randy!

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Tintin and I went to Smart Wireless Center at SM North EDSA and picked up my Smart multi-line SIM card, integrating my latest prepaid SIM and lost SIM card. I could get up to 5 lines - all active at the same time. Each line is able to receive calls and messages even when a different one is in use. Changing SIM cards, to me, was boring.

Earlier, we passed by at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Bagong Pag-asa for Ash Wednesday service. Fr. Alex Jerus said the mass. He reminded us that faithfuls should not be limited to prayers alone but also should observe fasting, abstinence, and charitable acts on this particular day. Well, soul mate told me to fast but, since I took cough medication at 4 a.m., I was unable to do it. Perhaps on First Friday?

Friday, January 27, 2006

The inconvenience of shopping without a cellphone had been annoying me.

Lately, I had been window shopping for a 3G cellphone to buy since I was upset that most mobile phone retailers do not sell N 3660 anymore. Subscription Plan 1200 with Smart Communications has FREE N 6260 unit under special new connect package until the 31st of January, for 24 months contract. I was hesitant to get a higher plan to get a free N 6630 (Plan 1800), N 6680 (Plan 2500), or N 70 (Plan 3500), all units have faster connectivity and high-speed browsing with WCDMA (wireless code division multiple access) and EDGE technologies. However, in case of cellphone theft, I am obliged to pay more than the cost of the said unit.

Anyway, I had been wondering whether 3G is for real? 3G is shorthand for the next generation of mobile communications networks running on the WCDMA platform. On January 18, 2005, Smart Communications Inc. (SMART) announced that it has signed an agreement with Nokia for the supply of Third Generation (3G) networks technology equipment and services. Smart demonstrated its readiness to offer a full-range of 3G services in a live demo at an international conference in Cebu in November 2005. And I was told yesterday it will be formally launched in March 2006. I foresee prices of regular cellphones to drop once 3G technology is available but buying a dual camera unit will only work if the other party use the same kind of cellphone.

Ahhhh, I wouldn't worry about all these things if my cellphone had not been stolen!!!

There is a free 3G demo at the following SMART Wireless Centers: SMART Tower, Alabang Town Center, EDSA Shangri-La Mall, Powerplant Rockwell and SM Cebu. Smart 3G demo will also be available at SM Megamall and SM North EDSA SMART Wireless Centers.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Smart Philippines has Araw-Araw Milyonaryo Promo from September 25 to October 24, 2004 and we registered to Milyon to 270 hoping to be the next Smart Milyonaryo or just get bonus load for every SMARTLoad purchased.

To join Araw-Araw Milyonaryo Promo, click here for mechanics, or Smart subscriber must register by sending MILYON space REG space [Name]*[Address]*[Date of birth - mmddyyyy]*[Gender] to 270.

Example: MILYON REG Mica Cruz*12 Sta. Cruz St., Manila*03191981*F

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

This article made me think twice whether to keep ON my cell phone's bluetooth connectivity:

The worm program, dubbed Cabir by Russian antivirus company Kaspersky, apparently uses the Bluetooth short-range wireless feature of smart phones that run the Symbian operating system to detect other Symbian phones, and then transfers itself to the new host as a package file.

More details at Silicon.com news, reported by Robert Lemos.

Meanwhile, speaking of cell phone, after I activated Smart international roaming sevice on N-Gage this morning, I packed it along with some stuffs requested by my son. The person taking the package is leaving, hopefully, either on Thursday or Friday. But, before handling over the package, I asked my sister to test if the service has been activated already. To my dismay, once she turned the power on, it has no network signal!

Series of efforts were made to discuss the matter with Hotline *888 and 8881111. Upon checking the mobile number on their system, the requested service is already activated but, why Smart's network signal had been lost, they advised me to check the unit with the dealer. Switching of phones and sim cards is not possible because she got loads of work to do. My sister held the package for the time being, it's necessary that the unit and the sim card must be checked tomorrow.

I forgot somehow to tell them that the unit model was Nokia N-Gage, it might have something to do with Smart's limited features for this gamedeck phone???

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Inquirer News Service's Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. reported that Malacañang Palace mulls 20% tax for every text message:

• Malacañang will have its way in Congress, mobile phone subscribers will have to pay up to 20 centavos for every text message sent.
• The government hopes to generate at least P14 billion in additional revenues annually.
• Strong lobby expected, the proposed tax on text messages and indexation of sin taxes form the core of the government's proposed tax reform program
• A drastic measure to solve the government's gaping budget deficit, to reach P197.8 billion this year.
• At present, 10-percent value-added tax on cellular phone cards was already a way of taxing text messaging, if approved, it would resulted to double taxation.

Read complete details at Inq7.net.

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Disappointed with my failure to activate MMS/GPRS on NOKIA N-GAGE unit we purchased two days ago, I almost wanted to change the unit and could not make my mind on what model to choose from having the same features and enhancements. Asking SMART Communications Customer Care Assistant or NOKIA Sales Agents made me even more confused with their conflicting informations and knowledge of their services and products.

For those who are lost like me, please never give up. Informations are just a mouse-click away. Here are useful links to enjoy the features of MMS/GPRS on your cellphone:

• Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), we can send and receive messages with text, image and sound. Click here to get MMS settings
• Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), surf the mobile Internet from mobile phone. Click here to get WAP settings
• Visit the Operator Settings FAQ or NOKIA-Philippines Website to find out more.

After accepting Terms and Conditions and followed the procedures step-by-step, the next thing I know, configuration settings for both WAP and MMS were sent to NOKIA N-GAGE unit, then, I sent MMS ON and GPRS ON to 333 (Applicable to Smart users only).

Going to SM City-North EDSA to setup N-Gage unit manually this afternoon is no longer necessary. Weather is bad right now, it's raining outside with thunderstorm. When my daughter came in my room to tell me that lunch is ready, I smiled at her and told her a piece of advice: "Sweety, when someone told you something, never believe them at once. Don't let yourself suffer just because some people didn't know the answers to some of the questions you asked, all you have to do is try your best to find the answers by yourself. If there's a will, there's a way..."

Friday, June 11, 2004

When we purchased NOKIA N-Gage yesterday, the attending sales coordinator, Dave, failed to turn on its MMS and I decided to go to Smart Communications Care Center but there were lots of people in queue. Since there is no problem with the unit, they gave us a small sheet of paper instead with instructions on how to activate General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) using SMART SIM card. For those cellphone users with MMS capability but didn't know how to turn it on, follow these:

1. Type SET GPRS UNIT MODEL, then send it to 211. Ex. SET GPRS N7650
2. Type SET MMS UNIT MODEL, then send it to 211. Ex. SET MMS N7650

Once configuration is received, click SAVE (NOKIA) or YES (Ericsson), to install new MMS Profile settings. To activate GPRS/MMS subscription:

1. Type GPRS ON, then send it to 333
2. Type MMS ON, then send it to 333

After four attempts sending to 211 the following: SET MMS NGAGE, SET MMS N-GAGE, SET MMS NNGAGE, and SET MMS NN-GAGE, I kept receiving instructions from Smart 211.

Got no choice but to call PLDT 187 and they gave me SMART Hotline number, 8881111. Customer Care Assistant informed me that only text service is applicable with international roaming in Saudi Arabia for Smart Buddy (which is different from what I was told yesterday?) AND, unfortunately, N-Gage is not MMS-server supported yet! OMG, I got hysterical and called the shop to inform them that I'd like to return and change the unit but, Dave went out for lunch.

My son was currently chatting with Tintin on Yahoo! and he said no need to bother myself to change it for another model, he said the ingenuity of Pinoys in Saudi Arabia can do wonders. Well, who knows that SMART server does not support N-Gage MMS yet? Ah! Mother never told me there will be days like these...

Thursday, June 10, 2004

After searching for tri-band (GSM 1900) mobile phone, MP3 playback, MMS/GPRS capable, infrared/bluetooth connectivity, 64 MB MMC/upgradeable BUT, with NO CAMERA, I ended up with Nokia NGage for my son! Its price dropped since it was first launched but nevertheless, I feel better now that I got something for my son. I preferred NOKIA 6820 because of its QWERTY keyboard but, it has a camera! NOKIA 9500 Communicator is best for my son's need but, it has a camera also and will not be available until the third quarter of this year.

We were told from Smart Communications - Sales Dep't. that text messages wouldn't work with international roaming in Saudi Arabia, as MMS and SMS are barred. Anyway, my son has to buy a prepaid SIM card there which cost about SR 150 (PHP2,100.00), if his SMART SIM card fails. I am a Smart subscriber but might switch to Globe soon. Globe has better browsing options and it's FREE through GPRS and can make clear calls via international roaming (post-paid subscribers). My son wants an open line and didn't want me to get subscription plan so I was having difficulty earlier. Currently, prepaid SIM cards cost locally about PHP 150.00 for Globe and PHP 190.00 for Smart Communications, the two leading cell phone companies here in the Philippines.

The next best thing to do is upgrade the applications in his unit and load it with some of his favorite mp3s and images of Tintin. Hey, Junjun, would you allow your little sister to try its game? :D

Monday, June 07, 2004

I chatted with my eldest son this evening and he urgently needs a tri-band (GSM 1900) mobile phone, MP3 playback, MMS/GPRS capable, infrared/bluetooth connectivity, 64 MB MMC/upgradeable BUT, with NO CAMERA. Yahoo! SMS messages had been at least 3 hours delayed before I received them as SMS and he's already offline once we received his message that he's waiting for us to go online. I had difficulty finding what's the best cell phone for my son because it is forbidden to send and receive images in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he is currently located. If one is caught using a camera phone, the penalty is confiscation of the unit plus SR 2,000 cash!

We would like to choose between Smart and Globe SIM card for his International Roaming access to exchange MMS but, I still have to coordinate this matter with these two communication providers if it is possible to do so.

NOKIA 9210i seems perfect for his need at first glance but it's dual band only and based on my online search, it does not support MMS, polyphonic ringing tones and GPRS. Therefore, before buying, I had thought to post here my concern, any suggestions in mind?

Saturday, February 21, 2004

Inq7 Infotech: DoCoMo to sell Nokia handsets for 3G service

• NTT DoCoMo Inc. will start offering this year low-priced handsets made by Finland's Nokia Corp. for its third-generation (3G) wireless service
• DoCoMo will procure Nokia handsets with only basic 3G functions, such as Internet connectivity, high-speed data communications and videophone

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has formed a five-man committee to work on government rules on third-generation (3G) mobile services, a top official said during the second annual IT forum of the IT Journalist Association of the Philippines or Cyberpress.

Edgardo Cabarios, director for common carrier of the NTC said that the rules will likely determine how many local players will be allowed to enter the Philippine 3G market, given the limited spectrum allocation for the next-generation mobile service. He also said the rules will also decide whether to allow existing operators to participate in the planned bidding of the 3G frequencies. READ MORE

Citing the European experience with 3G, both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications believe that there is still money to be made out of the existing networks.

Ramon Isberto, head of public affairs of Smart Communications, stressed that the "jury is still out for 3G" and there is still issue of handset availability -- "We're not in a rush to go to 3G although we're also closely watching the market."

Nicanor Santiago III, wireless business development head of Globe Telecom, also agreed that the availability of handsets, and cost related to moving to 3G networks, remain the major issues in migrating to faster networks -- "It's not easy to get into 3G.". FULL STORY

Third generation (3G) wireless networks deliver datarates on the order of 64 kbps for upload and on the order of 200 kbps for download. These higher speeds allow the transmission of video and two-way video telephony. Other data connections, e.g. download of information or JAVA applets, are also several times faster on 3G networks than on older 2G networks. READ MORE

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• Cory Aquino still wants 'brains' of Ninoy's killing
• PCGG wants to see Imelda Marcos in jail
• Macapagal acts to quell restive young AFP officers
• Telco firms urge NTC to limit outdoor Wi-Fi use

Thursday, October 30, 2003

Saturday, July 19, 2003

Saturday, July 12, 2003

Monday, July 07, 2003

Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Current NTC regulations prohibit the use of the spread spectrum technology, which includes Wi-Fi, within the 2.4-gigahertz frequency band as this frequency is used by the power utility firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for internal communications.

Tuesday, June 03, 2003