thirdrow

ZunePH, one of my favorite blogs, made a very interesting blog entry about Zune HD. The blog entry, aptly titled “Do I need a Zune HD right now?” shares the author’s point/counterpoint in getting the Zune HD. Instead of making a comment on the blog I decided to dedicate an entire blog to it.

Here’s my take on that: High-end gadgets NEVER belong to need list. Case in point: there are thousands of cheap but functional phones out there but most people drool over smartphones. Even if the only thing they’ll need are the text and call feature. Another silly point here is that most advanced feature of a smartphone (albeit 90% of them) would require data plan for it to be truly functional – mobile internet. GPS, push email – but data plans are just too much for the masses. But that doesn’t stop people from getting an expensive phone. Another example are Portable Media Devices (PMP’s), Heck Sanza Clip alone could make Apple run for its money, it’s cheap and packed with features. But I don’t see it grabbing any market share from Apple.

The way I see it is there are handful of reasons why people haplessly fall for ridiculously priced gadgets. People just can’t get enough lust for high-end gadgets. Either spurred by their curiosity or their need for validation, we make gadgets a priority like it is one of our monthly bills. I can’t remember how many times I’ve been impulsive when it comes to buying gadgets. My iPod classic is a testament to that and no I will not tell it here, hehe. High-end gadgets are, in a way, a personal statement. Either we want to be differentiated from the crowd or we just want to show off what we can buy, is something high-end gadget can surely convey. I was long-time Nokia phone user but I wasn’t really happy. Until I learned about Windows Mobile phones where you could install apps, tweak it’s registry and even create your own software for the phone. When I got my hand on my first WinMo phone (O2 XDA mini), I told myself, “ok, this phone is my phone”. I figure it was the geek in me longing for the phone.

So I might not pre-order the Zune HD now or even order right after it’s release (September 15!) but I’m sure I will get it somehow, someday. I know I don’t need it but what the heck I can’t get enough of how sexy it is and it is one thing that will differentiate me from the millions of iPod lemmings out there!

There are some things that you don’t wish you’d use but you’re glad it’s there.

Yesterday my Windows 7 Beta expired, and me being a complete idiot was so excited installing the new build of the OS that I have completely forgot to back-up my 5-year collection of photos. The minute I realized my collection was gone, which I didn’t until the evening yesterday, I went like crazy. It all went blurry. All I can think about is I must have backed it up somewhere else. But of course, I haven’t.

And you know what’s the unbelievably stupid part is? (yes, deleting the pictures was not) I was able to save everything else, including a copy of ‘Kailangan Kita’, what the heck is wrong with me!

Seriously, I was really, really frustrated. It’s five years of my life gone because of my utter stupidity. Not to mention the efforts I made to organize, tag and edit this collection. Anyway, moving forward I know for a fact that deleted files – even formatted ones – can still be recovered using a software. I remember using a software called ‘File Scavenger’ before (yes, this is not the first time that I have ‘accidentally’ deleted some files). So there I was, I’ve spent the night scouring my hard drives looking for any trace of my photos, something that I never imagined doing. I recovered some of the pictures but not the entire collection. From the looks of it, it’s roughly 50% of the collection. Damn it. I’m gonna make a few more scans on my hard drives tonight and hoping that I’ll uncover more.

It’s gonna be a long night.

I think I’m a sucker for lists. Although I don’t qualify even remotely as an organize person. I don’t know, maybe it’s the thrill in organizing thoughts. Heh, ok now I’m also a perv.

So here’s another list for me and this is no ordinary one. This is THE list. I don’t wanna call it my bucket list, I’m not that old. But these are the things that I want to do (with my Bee, syem’pre) in the next quarter of my life.

• Attend a TED Conference – TED is a community of passionate people on their field who wants to make a difference on the world, literally. Every year, a conference is held to give some of these incredibly smart people to share what they’re doing to the community. There’s a lot of inspiring talks every conference. If you wanna see some of these talks, they are freely available at TED. I strongly that you add them to your podcasts.
• Watch Chris Rock live – If you haven’t seen any of Chris’ stand-ups (NOT the movies) then I suggest that you immediately stop reading, head to the nearest video rental shop and rent a copy of his shows Chris is just outrageously funny. He can talk about politics, race issues, romance and a whole more that you can pick up and laugh.
• Witness Aurora Borealis (or Australis. Either, I’m not really that picky, ha!) 
• Live for a year in Tuscany – I know, I know. That’s the gayest thing a man could ever put it his list but I can’t help it. I’m just in love with the place (and yes, I’ve seen “Under the Tuscan Sun” a million times and would not hesitate to see it again).
• Live for a year in New York – who doesn’t? I’m just curious what the fuss is all about, what makes it the greatest city in the world.

Slowly, I am inching my way in crossing out all of the items in my list. This is my third item to cross out – here are the first and the second. Yesterday, since I’m pretty much unoccupied, we went to La Mesa Eco Park and and kill some time. We killed time alright, we blast every minute till we ran out of it.

It was a quickie, roughly just 2 hours, but we made every minute count! There are handful of fun activities that you can do there, but since we’re in nick of time, we made a little hands-on management: we prioritize. Boat riding was fun but can be little tiring and confusing at first. Rowing is not an easy chore! It’s more than just a physical activity, you need to think how you’ll paddle your way through the lake. And I thought I can leave my brain at home. The boat costs P100 for 30 minutes.

Fun slide was the highlight actually. Finally, some adrenaline for a slooow weak. It’s P100 per person which I think is a little pricey? Or am I just being tight on my wallet. Anyway, it’s really fun, you should try it. There are other stuff that you can do there like wall climbing, paint ball, etc.

Some of our pictures below: