Improve Your Life, Be Productive.

Give the Gift of Life-Improving Books

Help me, help you.

How A Forgetful Mind Can Be A More Creative Mind

INHIBITING OLD IDEAS MAY HAVE AN "ESSENTIAL ROLE" IN DEVELOPING NEW ONES.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Question: What do you use to open the door of blessings?
Answer: Tur-key!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Goal of the Day!

Things I Learned (TIL): Drive carefully. Your goal is to get home safe.

Developer's Fun!

Question: What is the favourite drink of Unix/Linux Developers?
Answer: Root-beer.

One Day

If only they would sell Thanksgiving Day sale for a week. This will not only help people from long lines, this will also relieve servers from choking from overload on that day, when all the people of the world is buying in just one day.

Pressure-Free Shopping

No pressures. How I love that phrase especially when shopping this holiday season. No pressures and you buy more of what you want and enjoy for your hard-earned money. Nobody is telling, “Buy this or buy that, and sometimes they tell you that you don’t have money and just leave.” How awful, they just lost a buying customer. Nobody wants to be forced to buy something especially in the holidays.

“Hey! I love that cute music.”

Why I'm Beginning To Love Audiobooks

Just lately, I discovered something that piqued my curiosity. Humble Bundle has an audiobook sale that includes the bestseller, “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, and other great books just by naming your own price (it could be a dollar, if you want). 

So, I decided to own a bundle. 

I haven’t really appreciated listening to audiobooks until I bought this, and it’s so easy: Just download it to your phone, put on your earphones, and listen away using the built-in media player on your phone. What takes me a day to finish a chapter, I finished two chapters in a day! That’s double to what I finish by reading, and I can even do other stuff while listening. 

Things I learned.

What's New In Mac OS X Yosemite?

There are lots of new features added in Mac OS X Yosemite. Some of it requires newer versions of your Mac hardware for it to work (So, please check it out first). They say there are reasons to upgrade if only you have iOS devices. But, I urge you to upgrade since it has added security features, bug fixes, faster performance, and revamped User Interface, which I say much simpler (That came from iOS). You must note that some applications may not run and you need updated versions for it to work. Fortunately, the apps you bought in the store will offer updates for free, so you must also check this out also. You may also need to re-install Java since it removed the previous version after the upgrade. It is available in Apple's website for you to download here: http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1572.
Then, to see all of the added features in Yosemite, you can check it out here: http://www.apple.com/osx/all-features/.

PAGASA Updates

Tweets by @dost_pagasa

RedCross Updates

Tweets by @philredcross

8 bit RPG "Cook"

I created a new segment called 8bit RPG. I will be making this everytime I have spare time.

Here's a new short movie about lobsters! Enjoy!

Apps I can’t Live Without

The one app I can’t live without is Flipboard. You can learn so many things from science, to art, design (which what I’m studying right now), and technology. There are so many amazing things you will discover like houses made out of truck containers, artworks made out of playdoh, and even  books that pops-up with drawings, and who would ever forget the 3D art made by just using a pencil and a sketchbook!

Flipboard is so cool! You can also make your own magazines and share it. And, the best part is it’s FREE!

Why Firefox is Popular

Firefox is created by the good folks at Mozilla, and later this month, Godzilla will also be showing (haha).

Have a Happy Week!

En tus brazos

En tus brazos

http://vimeo.com/87322941

MULTI AWARDED including Award of excellence Siggraph 2007 and many more...

Over 50 selections in film festivals worldwide.


Directed by Fx Goby, Matthieu Landour, Edouard Jouret.

My Secret About the Mac Part 3

Step 1: Go to Google Web Store and search for Chrome Remote Desktop and install it on both of your PC and Mac in Google Chrome Web Browser.

Step 2: After you have installed it, open the web app by double-clicking on it (do this on your PC first), and enable remote connections by clicking on the button (You may need to enter your administrator username and password).

Step 3: After enabling it on your PC (and creating a pass code), keep it open (you may need to have Wifi enabled), and you will see your PC name on your Mac using the same web app. Then, click on it and you will see the screen of your PC on your Mac!

That’s it!

Everyday News - March 31, 2014

Piracy

What are the advantages of buying original software?

It creates jobs.

We went to SM the other day and saw all these sale, discounts and promos plastered to every shelf that I could see. It’s the end of March and students across the nation is marching their way to employment.

We need jobs! Good jobs that pays well to have a better life, for our families, for our friends, or they will go abroad and work in other countries. We will see them once in a year.

Generates tax revenues.

Early this year, our city just overhauled all water pipes, putting new pipes with better pumps providing water to all of cities’ grid. Now, there are no more gripes about no water flowing from the faucets. They get this money from taxes for government’s projects.

Stopped working.

I remember my dad told me when he was still working in their company, his computer got infected with a virus. His work just stopped totally for two days because they were trying to fix his computer and restoring the files and applications.

Solutions by Microsoft.

I remember looking for ways to get my hands on a cheap Windows CD that I need for work. Then, I stumbled upon Microsoft’s project Dreamspark (Google it), which gives students huge discounts on software like Visual Studio and Development Tools, and sometimes at no cost! The only way for schools to get these offers is to have a database of students (at least that’s how I remembered). There is also Dreamspark to start your own businesses called BizSpark.

https://www.dreamspark.com 

Article: http://www.zdnet.com/with-a-piracy-rate-of-80-percent-can-the-tech-world-convince-africa-to-buy-legitimate-software-7000027876/.

Climate Change

No country has really experienced the effects of climate change than the Philippines. It cost us everything: agriculture, health, water supplies and people’s lives. We’ve been hit by the strongest storm in human history, and everyone has been affected. Climate change changed us dearly.

Somebody in the comments told about climate change for the past ten years: Small tornadoes in Italy; snow in Turkey last year; rain in Dubai; no rain for 4 months in California; record summer in the U.S.; no winter in almost all Europe.

Article: http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/31/5565760/nobody-will-escape-the-effects-of-climate-change-un-warns.

My Secret About the Mac Part 2

Ok, my secret Google Chrome Plugin is "tatararaaa..." (drum roll please), Chrome Remote Desktop (Be sure it's from Google)! Just search it on the Google Web Store. It's sooooo eeeeasy to setup, and it supports Mac, Windows and Linux!

I'll teach you how.

To Be Continued...

My Secret About the Mac Part 1

I’ve been playing PC games on my Mac. No, I’m not using a virtualisation software, or an emulator, or anything like a compatibility layer, not even BootCamp! I am just using a web browser, Google Chrome Web Browser…

To Be Continued…

How to Speed-Up Your Mac OS X Mavericks

Lately, I found out that what makes Mavericks slow because of its internet enabled features during logging-ins like Location Services:

This significantly increased speed of shutdown and logouts:

Go to System Preferences->Security and Privacy->Privacy->Location Services->uncheck Enable Location Services.

That's it!

Manga Studio by Smith Micro

Hi, Everyone! As you've noticed on my website, http://freethelove.magix.net, I've changed the background image to something seamless and etsy. Also, made the manga art using Manga Studio EX 4 (Hi!). They are (were) on sale today on my website, just scroll and find it. They are selling it at $29.99 for Windows and Mac. Here is the link: Manga Studio EX 4.0. The latest version is Manga Studio 5, but selling it alot steeper.

Don't be afraid to create, and enjoy!

How to Make Your Mac Boot Faster

Just check “Reopen windows when logging back in” when shutting down or restarting.

That’s it!

How to Make Your Mac Run Faster

After upgrading to Mavericks from Lion, I’ve noticed that it boots faster, but when after logging in, Launchpad runs slower with Loading Application text until you wait ages for it to load.

I’ve found out about how to rebuild your Launchpad Icons thus making desktop loading faster:

Note: Be sure to back-up first before doing this step since you might delete the wrong file.

Open Finder, and click on the Home Folder on your Sidebar on the left (The one with the username under Favorites).

From the View Menu (on the Menu Bar above), click Show View Options, and check Show Library Folder.

Then from your home folder, there is now a Library folder and navigate to: 

Library->Application Support->Dock.

Delete the other file with the .db extension and NOT the desktoppicture.db.

Reboot.

Click the Launchpad icon. This will rebuild the Launchpad icons so, wait for awhile.

Reboot again.

And, there you have it. The desktop boots faster since it removed the entries that are not needed. You may want to un-check Library folder view from Finder by doing the steps mentioned above.

That’s it!

Mac OS X Update 10.9.2

Hey, mac users! It's updates again, and today is an important one since it fixes the dreaded SSL bug. Be sure to backup first before updating. In this update, Safari can now save your usernames and passwords in Yahoo Mail (woohooo!). The update version is 10.9.2.

Thank you all!

Clean Your Disk For Free (Limited Time)

Hey guys, I have another nice freebie for you! Disk Diag is a tool that cleans cache and unneeded files. It's free for limited time. So, hurry!

To get it, open the Mac App Store and search for Disk Diag and install it. That's it!

Important: Be sure not to turn on the Downloads, and turn off the Mail Downloads before cleaning your disk or, it will delete everything.

Disk Diag

2020: My Country

Got a minute? Or, an hour? Or, maybe days then weeks? Then, you know it, you are flapping your wings playing this fun Sim City like game (and it’s free to play!). Go to the Mac App Store and try it!

Announcement: There will be an asteroid hitting planet Earth in a couple of hours. Be sure to capture it, it maybe your last time (hahaha). 

Warning! Been playing it for hours; it will really cost your precious time and energy.

Poser Debut 10 for Mac OS X Mavericks

I've used Poser Debut before about three years ago, and I really like it. Created a short movie about a boy who wants to get a bowl of cookies that he can't reach, and finally found a solution by using his toys to get them.

Happy Ending.

Thinking to continue the project (Hopefully).

P.S. Hey, they've added a new content called Scene in the Library Window where you can add an entire scene like an office complete with props. Real time saver!

Here's a sample of what you can do with Poser Debut, starring Jessica. I made this in one hour, the rendering time maybe 15 minutes or so. Check it out!

Poser Debut for Mac Crashing Bug Fix

I may have found a fix to crashing when quitting in Poser Debut for Mac.

Go to Preferences, set Launch to Factory Scene in Document tab. Or, you may uncheck Use external binary targets in the Misc tab. Or, select Launch to Factory State in the Interface tab.

Update: It seems that when you launch the Libraries Window and quit the application, the problem persists. I'm going to look into this further...

Last Update: The problem has been finally solved by upgrading Poser Debut to version 10 (Hey, it's sale today in TUAW: Poser Debut Sale). In case you're wondering, I'm using Mavericks (Latest Mac OS). The previous version of Poser Debut is 9, and it works in Lion without crashing bug.

Music Sunflower

Hi, Everyone! As you can see on my website (http://freethelove.magix.net), I’ve made a short cartoon using Anime Studio Debut 9 on a Mac called “Music Sunflower.” I’ve composed the music using Garageband.

So, do check it out! Thanks!

iMovie Bit

Ok. I’ve updated my iMovie from ’09 to the latest version since it’s crashing on me in Mavericks (I’ve been saving for this, and it’s just $14 bucks anyway), and there is one thing I have to say: “So far, so good!”

The first thing I do is try the software out without reading the manual, and learn much by doing, and see how intuitive the user interface is. And, I’ve been able to make a movie just as easy as clicking and dragging. Very easy (period). The only thing I can’t figure out is move the position of the text after choosing from the Title gallery. Everything went smoothly and rendering is quite fast (even if my mac is quite old). Anyway, it looks better than the previous one, and I think you’ll going to enjoy it too.

Life Can Be Fixed

No matter how ruined your life is, there is always a chance. The first step is changing your way of thinking, making it an optimist rather than being a loser. You can win. It will take some time, but it is possible. Sometimes all that you need is enough patience. Nothing can be done if there is no hard work. After a days work, enjoy life and be happy. Go out, buy some hot coffee, drink and laugh out loud!  

Happy Birthday Facebook!

Today is the 10th anniversary of Facebook.

Happy Birthday!

Nobody is Looking

The icons on my menu bar is disappearing when logging in; Inkscape, Gimp and many others are not compatible with Mavericks (Those apps I use everyday) that I have to rely on very slow CrossOver for it to work (it saves a lot of energy); iBooks’ Table of Contents are so hard to use; iTunes doesn’t default to the mini player or even play controls on the menu bar; can’t buy anything but classics on iBooks; the LCD smoothing of fonts looks terrible; PyGame module of Python is not also compatible that I use for work that I have to use Virtualbox Ubuntu just to use Eclipse and that awesome PyGame; Mavericks updated my Pages app without any permission; Logging into desktop is slow (like Windows); you still need a disk cleaner app to make it run faster (like Windows); Poser Debut is crashing and several others; Launchpad messes up and have to delete the database to refresh it; when you right-click a document or a file, and choose Open with, the icons are missing; Mac games are slow; iTunes skips when editing a photo with humongous resolutions; iPhoto’s noise reduction doesn’t affect photos with higher resolutions; iMovie crashes; Google Chrome web browser is 32-bit only; Safari doesn’t have a responsive design view; you need an app to record what’s coming out of the speaker; can’t upload my app to app store and shows errors (and have to pay a large sum just to register); and the track pad for the desktop sucks!

Macs are NOT for Gaming

Every platform has its strength and weaknesses, and the Mac is no exception. PCs are built for gaming since all games are developed for that, while Macs are built for work like web designing, HTML5 development, photo editing, music recording, iWork, and other creative, professional and office stuff.

Yes, Macs have limitations in gaming, but that’s what iPads are for. You create games for iPads using a Mac, and that is what is intended. You cannot create iPad, iPhone apps using a PC and that is its weakness.

Apps Make the World Go Around

What makes a platform great like Mac OS X? Is it the price only? Nope. Is it the User Interface? Nope. Is it the Apps? Nope. Is it the people who make these? Nope. It’s all of them.

Every factor counts. Just like people, everyone counts. There’s no that other person is more important, everyone is important. Just like the people who poured out their devotion in creating these fabulous apps that we love and use everyday; it’s something special. If you put all of these into one thing; it’s radical; it’s magical; and something great.

In with the Old, In with the New

I love art. I see works that are old, renaissance, classical, excruciatingly detailed, at the other hand, I see fresh, colourful, easy and fun modernity. Those are separate, but joined into one, it melds the best of both worlds.

Learning Mac

Computers should solve problems, not create it. What we do everyday in our lives should help us not burden us. Asking the question, “How computers can help alleviate our problems?”

Just recently, I saw a news article saying most people in our country can’t find a job. That comes as a surprise since nowadays there are so much technology that needs work. Before when I was out of work, I used Linux to find work. Because it is free and open source, I tried to hone my skills in fixing its problems and posting it to my blog. After years gone by, I was surprised to see how successful my blog was. There are literally thousands of views, and people really find it very useful. That’s my job, fixing things! Then later, I moved on.

My point is, there are millions of jobs waiting, and there are no shortage. Computers are not just things that entertain us, but it create jobs. I would suggest, to try it yourself, and years from now you will look back and smile.

Revenge isn’t Sweet, Justice is Sweeter

When you are filled with anger to someone, getting back feels good, but you will regret everything after. When you are wronged by others, and they suffered because of that, it is justice, and it will make you feel better.

The War That Nobody Wins

Nobody wants war (except that if you are Hitler), it is a waste of time; it is ugly; and it is costly. War is harder than life itself. It solves nothing; it even creates problems; and you can’t watch movies. 

It is said that a kingdom doesn’t last when people is at war. War in minds, soul, and spirit. Nobody wins. Everything is a loss, and painful memories.

Doing Good for Food

Blessings are given to those who is worthy. It’s not for free because nothing in this world is free. If food is for free, then no one will ever work, and we’ll all be living in caves. No electricity, no aircon, no heater, and no TV. Everything we see now is a product of hunger.

So, we must not donate to charity? No, not at all! Donating to charity helps the hunger to do something. To strive for something. We cannot rely on charity for the rest of our lives do we? We have to do something. The money we donate comes from the things we do; we earn it, and giving it away makes us do more, and earn more. That’s where blessings come in: By doing more to help more and receiving more. And, if we suffer because we helped, then we will also be helped. Not by those we helped, but by those who also help.

Think About Others

Yes, you are important. One person can save or destroy the world. But, there are other people than yourself that have the same problems, feelings, aspirations, scorned at, struggles, who also love and even help. We all have the same Creator, who sacrificed His Son just to save us from eternal death and suffering.

No one will think that only he is necessary to survive. None. We all need every one of us, that’s why we are all here in this planet. No, there are no aliens who will invade the Earth; there are no super human beings that will conquer and rule this planet. You are just watching to many movies. But, we are here everyday we see each other. We know what we are experiencing everyday. No one is here to help, but thinking about others changes everything that.

Quality Not Quantity

When we go outside and take a walk, we want to breath fresh air, trees, good sunlight, and good company. We are always yearning to have a good and healthy lives; life that is remembered and not forgotten; life that is great and memorable.

Today, I got out, and went to the mall, and I noticed that the basketball court is newly painted, just like new. The roads are paved with brand new asphalt, and there are lots of construction going on in our small town. And yet, I sense that people aren’t happy, they lead useless lives, drowned in wine. So, how come with all these work that have been made, why are they not happy? What is that lacking thing that no one seems to have? Money? Well, they have new cars; they also live in big houses; they are well educated and earn for their family. Our country is very much populated, and one family has more than ten members. So, this brings to what I’m saying: Quality Not Quantity.

All Good Things About The Mac

My first impressions about the Mac is how beautiful it was crafted: The icons are large and intricate and is so simple. You can recognise the app by just a glance; it also has this translucent menu bar that reflects the subtle background; and it even has some desktop effects that magnifies the icons, to be more clearer and easier.

The Mac is not just eye candy, but it also has some powerful tools everyone can use for free! Like the Automator, which you can construct like Lego bricks, and solve repeating jobs in one process. Like, scrape the Internet for great deals, print hundreds of websites in one push of the button! Leveraging the power of computers, you can do batch processing while doing other work, thus saving you time and money.

One of the importance of having a Mac is that you can create almost anything! Like apps for iPads, iPhones, and even Macs. Aside from your day job, you can do side projects where you can program and develop apps and sell it to the Apple App Store, and make earnings. If you want to dive in the science of development, there are ebooks you can buy anywhere, and Apple has a more complete documentation in almost you can think of by registering in Apple Dev website (https://developer.apple.com).

With Macs you can do anything and have fun while you are at it. There are games for kids and mature alike from the best. Games are also one of my hobby, playing games and making games. I learn things in games like how to build a start-up and how to manage businesses; it also helps kids think and learn. When I was younger, it was games that made me in to software development, and even my nephew is also into it studying abroad. So, don’t hinder kids to play games. This is part of growing up, and it helps foster inspiration to young minds. Games nowadays are multi-billion dollar businesses because of the spread of mobile technology like smartphones and tablets.

Even in this perilous times in our country, we should have an open mind and hearts for what is good, and the rest is in God’s hands.