Oh no! My Samsung F480’s no more a Virgin!

Last week, my phone malfunctioned. I know it has something to do with the hardware, coz’ if it’s in the software, then i’ll be the one to repair it instead. So, last August 1, 2010 (right, it’s Tiffany’s birthday), I came to SM Fairview to make a check-up and at the same time, repair this phone. I’ve gone to the following shops in CyberZone: Techno Mobile, BSD International, and all they say is that, there’s a short circuit in the phone itself, and it would cost me 700~800 PHP. It’s quite believable, since the problem of my phone is that, everytime I insert the battery, it automatically turns on like hell, then turns off after a few minutes, then sometimes, rapidly pushing in the End button. But the problem is, they told me, I should just bring it to the Samsung shop. In short, they’re not capable T__T. The next shop which is I really became disappointed is, TwinLine. That shop made me argue with the technician. He said it’s in the program, and it needs to be reprogrammed. F*** ’em! Sorry for that bad word.

So, the next thing is to look for another store and inquire. I tried this up-start cellphone shop called “C.CellZone” and I immediately asked the technician if he could fix my phone. First, we did some talking. He asked me about the symptoms, and commanded me to remove the memory card, coz’ he told me that it is possible that there’s a virus, though it’s very unusual. He told me that maybe there’s a corrupted system file and we did a Master Reset of the phone. We observed the phone for a while, and he said that if ever it happens again, it’s in the hardware, that maybe there’s a so-called “corrosion” in the flex or in any of the inside parts of the phone (Note: Corrosion are dust/damages that can be found in flex and other ICs and circuits of any electrical machine). So, the phone turned well, and he did not asked me for anything. I came home and tested the phone. It works. I turned it off then tried removing then inserting the battery, when suddenly, after inserting it, the phone automatically turned on! This is EPIC crazy!… I told myself, I should just bring it back in the repair shop and totally ask the technician to repair it as much as he could.

So, I came back last Wednesday and told him what happened. He told me, maybe there is really a corrosion in the flex of the End key, and that it is most likely that it became wet and then dried. We also did a short conversation about the other stores I asked out, and that he is aware that some of those are real scammers, that they’ll cost you so much and they’ll even do the wrong thing. After a few moments, he did the thing, opened the insides of the phone (and that’s why i’m saying it’s no more a virgin), and tried observing the whole parts. I saw all of it. I was amazingly staring at the parts, that they were just like that, so thin and small, packed inside the housing of my phone. The technician, Kuya Rick, was just using a set of screwdrivers and a mini scalpel. Finally, we happened to see the flex and, it’s confirmed, the flex has dust! We’re very sure that water came inside and ruined the flex. After that findings, he immediately cleaned up the corrosion while I’m enjoying to watch him clean it, as if I’m gonna try that out xD. Finally, he tried testing the phone again after assembling its, and everything worked out as expected. I’m so happy it’s working again. He told me it’ll cost me just PHP250. I’m so amazed… “akala ko wala ng technician na humble, magaling at hindi mandurugas…”, and it was just him that proved me that I’m wrong. I did the right thing. Even though C.CellZOne was just an up-start, cheap-looking store in contrast to the other cellphone shops I mentioned, atleast they’re doing their thing in a very good way. I’m so pleased. And quite excited to make a copy of The Big Four Tour Liva @ Sonisphere to my phone. Thanks to Kuya Ricky and the rest of C.CellZone. And here are some stolen shots ^_^

…and here’s something to tell you that I’m not joking when I said it cost me PHP250.00

I’m really happy my phone was respawned and working well again. And I would like to recommend Charle’s Cellzone, specially Kuya Rick for bringing back my phone to life again. If you are looking for repairs, just contact him @ 09217228814. Thanks ^^

|> In Flames – The Chosen Pessimist

Nokia 5530/5800 XpressMusic HQ Videos

Note: These MP4 files are mostly decoded with 640×360 resolution; 1500kbps bitrate; 29.97fps framerate; 16:9; Dual-channel audio with 128kbps bitrate. Meaning, these files are compatible with both the Nokia 5530 and 5800 phones, and maybe other mobile phones with the same specifications of the two.

Music Videos:

– After School – Because of You
– f(x) – CHU
– f(x) – NU ABO
– Girls’ Generation – Gee
– Girls’ Generation – Gee (Japanese)
– Girls’ Generation – Genie (Japanese)
– Girls’ Generation – Into The New World
– Girls’ Generation [JeTiHyun] – It’s Fantastic! (Mabinogi)
– Girls’ Generation – Oh!
– Girls’ Generation + Super Junior – SEOUL Song
– Girls’ Generation – Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)
– Girls’ Generation – Run Devil Run
– SHINee – Lucifer
– SHINee – Ring Ding Dong
– Super Junior – Sorry Sorry (The Answer)
– T-Ara – Bo Peep Bo Peep (Dance Version)
– T-Ara – I Go Crazy Because of You
– T-Ara + Supernova – TTL (Time To Love)
– T-Ara + Supernova – TTL (Time To Love) Listen 2
– TVXQ! – Purple Line

Performances:

– [100502][SBS Inkigayo] Girls’ Generation – Oh! + Run Devil Run
– [100710][MBC Music Core] ZEA – Level Up!

Will be adding more soon ^^

Notes:

– All files are uploaded by “Me” through MediaFire under the account name “dead_executive05”.
– All files do have MediaFire password “kenafford“, to avoid search engines and hotlinks.
– I do not accept request. I’m uploading these files for personal reasons.
– Please do not take out these links, or else…
– Please feel free to leave a comment.
– Broken links, password bug, please report immediately.

Don’t know how to convert videos in HQ for your Nokia 5530/5800? Click Me!

How To Convert Videos For Nokia XpressMusic 5530

Ok, first of all, this topic concerns my little sister that’s why I need to post it in a very nice way. For everyone’s information, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic phone does inherited some existing features of the older but more superb 5800. They both have touch resistive screens, capable of displaying 16.7million colors with maximum resolution of 640×360 (not HD, but enough to be HQ in your palm). As for video capturing, it can capture 3gp videos in 30fps (yes, 30fps ^^).

So now, i’m gonna show you how to convert HD/HQ videos to your 5530 handset.

What you need:
– A fully-working video converter (For this tutorial, we’ll be using Koyotesoft’s Free Video Converter)
– USB data cable
– Nokia 5530 handset
– Computer with Internet Access

Setting up the converter:
1. Download Free Video Converter HERE
2. Install it afterwards. (Note: during installation, uncheck the following with labels “Set Yahoo! as the default webpage” and “I agree to the terms of use and wish to install Dealio Toolbar”… They’re some sort of advertisement and adware, I think)
3. Run Free Video Converter (Start > All Programs > Free Video Converter)
4. Choose English as Default language when prompted
5. You’re now on the main page of the converter, and somehow may look like this

6. Click the “Add Files” on the upper left corner to add video files you wish to convert. You can also just drag n’ drop the files to the app.

7. Highlight the video file you wish to convert and configure the output file with these settings:

VIDEO:
Output Format: Mp4
Codec: MPEG-4
Size: 640×360 (Note: you need to click the icon beside the drop-down list box; Uncheck the “Lock Height to match Aspect”; Input the following: Width: “640” Height” “360” and click OK)
Aspect: 16:9 (4:3 is for SDTV; 5:4 is for SDTV also; 16:9 is for Widescreen)
Fps: 29.97 (This concerns the rate of motion of the video. The lower, the laggy-er. We used 29.97 because the source file’s framerate is 29.97fps. So, if your source file is 30fps, change it to 30fps. Same goes to 15fps and 23fps)
Bitrate: We’ll be using 1500kbps here (Note that the higher the bitrate, the larger the file and the better the quality)

AUDIO:
Codec: AAC
Frequency: 44100khz
Channel: 2
Bitrate: 128 (I suggest to use any bitrate higher than 96kbps. 128kbps is CD quality; 64kbps is Radio quality;)

8. Click the Output file Tab and click browse. Here you’ll be assigning which folder path you want the output file to be saved to. In this tutorial, we’ll be using the default desktop path “C:\Users\kenokenopi\Desktop”, meaning, once the conversion is finished, you can find the .mp4 file in the Desktop.

9. Now it’s time to convert. Click the “Convert Video” from the upper portion of the app. This will take minutes, depending on the performance of your processor. Mine’s Intel Core i7 920, and it took about a minute or two.
Important Note: If you want to convert the video faster, uncheck the “preview video during conversion” box. It’ll be a help.

10. Once the video conversion is finished, close/minimize Free Video Converter and navigate windows to your desktop, find the output file and play it using VLC player or anything that can play it.

Now we’re done. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of the video, you can mind changing the bitrate higher.
I also uploaded the file in mediafire:

[PERF][100502][SBS Inkigayo] Girls’ Generation – Oh! + Run Devil Run.mp4 —> uploaded by me

More HQ Videos Here

Credits: GSMarena.com (for the 5530 official picture)
Thanks a bunch for viewing ^_^

|> ZE:A – Level Up!

Samsung F480 – A Quick Review

Hi all..! Today I’m gonna let you join me unboxing and checking out my newest mobile phone, the Samsung SGH-F480.
Basically, this is considered one out of many iPhone killers in the market, and of course, if we say “killer”, that means there’s some killer features this phone has.

First announced on February 2008 and better known by many as the Tocco, this phone kicks off the market with a 5-megapixel camera and touchscreen interface. The 5-megapixel camera can do almost anything as a typical camera has nowadays, such as smile shot, panorama shot, etc. Also, it can record 15fps videos in QVGA resolution, enough for daily uses specially if you’re a blogger. There’s a service called ShoZu wherein you can easily write posts and attach images and videos to your blog straight from your phone.

Although it lacks Wi-Fi, you can still make fast web connection via its HSDPA function which runs at a maximum 7.2mbps bandwidth rate, fast enough to download new multimedia goodies from the Samsung Fun club service. This phone is equipped with HAPTIC TFT touchscreen display, that can render 256 thousand colors, plus a vibration feedback, so you’ll have to use your thumb instead of stylus, and feel the vibration feature.

The F480 uses a propriety software called TouchWiz. It is designed specifically for touchscreen phones so all you have to do is to get used to it. Video-call is there and a second front VGA camera is present, but does not allow you to take photos from it. The Audio player is built well enough. It can arrange your music catalog from Artists, Genres, Albums, Year, and so on, so make sure to always check your tags. The audio player can read MP3s and AACs, at a maximum storage of 16GB, aside from its built-in 226mb phone memory, via its MicroSD slot hidden to the left side of the phone.

The phone is as thick as a AA battery and resembles a lot like a credit/ATM card. This chic design is targeted mostly for female and feminine-like guys. Because of its small size, you can easily slip it in your pocket, just like a wallet. The F480 is generally considered as a younger brother of the SGH-i900 Omnia, as they share the same interface and most features, while the Omnia has a lot more such as Windows Mobile and a larger screen.

It came up with a free 2008 Beijing Olympics backpack. Unboxing the phone will give you a lot more included accessories such as an extra leather case and some more typical accessories such as the PC Suite, stereo earphones, USB data cable, etc.

After all, it depends on you’re everyday use. The TouchWiz has surely something it can show off, but to my experience, it is in fact as easy as what I’ve expected. Everything is user-friendly. The screen response is so great, but if you aren’t satified, you can always modify it via its system option. Although the lack of QWERTY keyboard is a downside, the built-in keyboard is still understandable. It fails occasionally but you can always cope up with it. Sending text messages can surely take you a few more seconds slower than a regular cellphone with a physical keypad. Well, that’s how touchscreen phones does. But at least it is responsive enough. Video playback can be best enjoyed to video files with a file extension of .mp4 and is decoded in Xvid (MPEG-4), with a resolution of 320×240, 400~1000 kbps bitrate, 44100 sample frequency and 192Kbps audio. Of course, there are some other alternatives such as the low-quality 3GP video files. However, the mentioned settings of MP4 video files is still my best advice, specially when watching movies.

The bulit-in web browser, NetFront, can do its thing well. It wasn’t flexible enough. And if you’re not satisfied then you can always download a version of Opera and Opera Mini, which is comercially free. The only installed game is Photo Puzzle, where you can also load your own photo from your memory with a resolution not higher than VGA. If you’re bored then you can try to download games via its internet browser.

What else is there? Bluetooth 2.0, yes. InfraRed? no. But if you want the real goodies, then just plug in your phone to your computer and start copying your favorite MP3 files, as well as good wallpapers and even movies.

The life cycle of this phone can be predicted to 10 years, well atleast for me. The hardware quality is good enough. The silver glossy finish looks so classy, but soon enough, like half a year, it will start detaching and will definitely make this phone ugly. But the time all of those glossy finish detached, soon this phone will completely be colored black, and it’s fine in my opinion. The screen can endure so much that it can resist some scratches and the constant tapping. The overall case is made of stainless steel. The battery which is Li-lon 1000 mAh can let you talk 250 hours until getting drained.

Overall, this phone surely is an iPhone Killer, atleast for now.

|> Slipknot – Gematria (The Killing Name)

My MOTORIZR Z3 Review

Ok, first of all, this would be my first and last review for my RIZR Z3, so i should put all the things   this gadget boasts. I’ve been using this phone for 1 year already, and this is the first time i managed a cellphone to last for atleast one year (hahaha very funny xD). I was actually always unaware of my earlier cellphones. Before having this phone, i do have a Nokia 3315, which was stolen by someone in my highschool days, the other one is a MOTO C651, which is very memorable because i lost it in a public transportation vehicle. In my Junior highschool, my mom bought me a MOTO E398, which is quite impressive coz’ it already has built-in mp3 player and is available for motomodding, too bad, i did not managed to mod it atleast one time coz’, it died. September 2007, I want to rush myself buying a new phone, so i can manage to text my college classmates. I even pursue my mom to give me enough money to buy one, about 11,000. Before, I was actually planning to buy another MOTO, which is the ROKR E2, coz’ it really made me obsessed of the “ROKR” name. But, seems like the ROKR E2 i’m wanting too is quite expensive, which costs about 14k in that time, and is acyually always been “out of stock”. I felt bad and hopeless upon knowing that the phone i’m wanting too is quite dislikes me. Soon, i just picked a phone with style. My sister knows me for being unaware in style in terms of choosing a cellphone, but this time, it changed me when i picked the RIZR Z3 (Whoa!!!). Well, the RIZR Z3 costs only 10k, quite inexpensive. Actually, it even impressed me more than the ROKR E2. Why? Because: 1.) RIZR has 2 Megapixels of Camera Resolution vs. ROKR’s 1.3 Megapixels. 2.) RIZR is quite newer than the ROKR. 3.) RIZR is a slide phone, so it’s a stylish phone, whilst ROKR is just candybar =(. So, i just picked the RIZR, for about 10k, with free 256mb of microSD, a stock earphone, free sim card, etc. It also has a good box packaging. After a few days, i tried modding the phone, and unfortunately, I bricked it. 😦

Now, i have to take it back to the store =(. Thank God, they didn’t mention anything about it and just replaced it to another handset. Oh, i remember, the headset is quite faulty, MONO!. But since my classmate Jeson, has a stolen SLVR L7, i managed to beg for his headset which is quite better, SSTEREO! Now, back to the “bricked” thing. After having the same phone again, i first made it last for about 2 months, 3 months, 4 months… Then, when i felt bored of the phone, i tried the MODDING again! Fortunately, it worked! 🙂

Firstly, I learned modding from Java Games…Then later, installing skins….then later and later….MONSTER PACKS! which made me brick my phone again. And i thought it would be my last time to have a phone. Thank God, with my very playful mind, i managed to revive it again, and it even turned my phone to a new look, better performing RIZR Z3!!! Soon and soon, later and later, i flashed better Monster Packs. Right now, i’m using ferdusinho’s Z3 mp, which is quite louder when playing mp3 songs, actually, same loudness as my big brother’s Nokia N95. I can now even capture and watch videos in mp4 format, view wordclock, play a lot of games (Guitar Hero 3, man!). This phone is really amazing. I don’t know hot to forget this phone and give it to my mom, while me having my new haptic phone, Samsung Tocco F480. huhuhu it’s quite sad. Atleast 1 year, it made me a cerified motomodder.

|> In Flames – I’m the Highway