the boy with the broken stomach
BBM for Android
"BBM for all, is it for better or worse?"

Big NO!

For the skeptics BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for iOS and Android is a shame. The reason it's called BBM because it was meant to run on a BlackBerry device much like iMessage on an  iOS device. I personally dislike the idea of porting the only good thing left from having a BlackBerry and just opening the party to everyone. If this is one hopeless action of  Research In Motion Limited ,well I guess it's just making its users switch to the competitors a lot easier.

Bad move.

BBM is now for everybody, by that I mean everybody who has a smartphone, even the cheap one. When I wasn't still owning a BlackBerry I look upon the prestige of those who have one. It wasn't about the device because we all know that these kind of phones are more tactile and low-tech; but instead it was its exclusive messaging app. Share your pin to everyone but still have  control over who you add as your contact. It has  a very corporate yet inviting vibe. Not to mention it's very affordable monthly subscription. It let's you be sosyal and at the same time be frugal.

BBM is the new Black.

Making BBM available for all might have some benefits. For the old users, it lets them reconnect again to old contacts but for those who just set-up their BBM account it's just another messaging app to add to their scarce phone memory. Although the number of downloads are quite impressive I think it's just a temporary hype that everyone is getting into. Wearing a black doesn't automatically make you a rock star.

"It was a hell of an adventure to paradise!"

Hiking wasn't my thing, but going to an adventure is my last name. My trek to Mt. Pico de Loro is actually a last minute decision to whether stay on my apartment the entire boring weekend or pack to hit the road and go to an escapade of uncertainty, excitement, adrenaline-rush and everything in between. I made a choice, a good one and here's my story.

Rumors and fears filled me after reading online reviews and hearing friends gossip, that the route from Santo Tomas, Batangas to Mt. Pico De Leo was literally #CirclingCavite. I had to travel alone to a land very unfamiliar to me, ask strangers and be a big boy so I can find my way, though the only thing I have is an offline copy of Google maps and a few bucks. I know I had to, because deep in my gut I know there's a hell of an adventure to paradise that awaits me.

Luckily after a couple of hours I was able to reach our meeting place, though an hour late it's better than never. We had to leave immediately to get things done as early as possible. The path to the actual hike was a magnetic hill but there was no magically unicorn or anything like, only an eardrum-breaking tricycle could take you there and you need an earplug to protect you from acoustic trauma.



We started the hike 10 o'clock and the trek was amazing, you're like inside Narnia plus the mosquito bites and slippery-rocky track. You'll never be lost because there's a lot of friendly hikers boosting you and deceiving you're almost there. I'm a bit amazed with their warm attitude and camaraderie which feels natural among them. I think it's a hiker's thing. They were even surprised of our threesome hike, then it dawned on me that it was suicide.


Our first stop after two hours was a waterfalls and it was crazy! I fell in love with it that I even thought of not continuing the hike and just stay there...forever. It was the perfect cold water, rushing from the top hitting my sore muscle and the inviting-jiggly splash whispering to my ears but I had to stop day dreaming. The rain poured and we're not prepared but luckily a group of hikers extended great esprit de corps offering us shade.


The clock starts ticking and we had to continue hiking. We need to get to the summit quick before it gets dark. Just when I thought it's gonna be a walk in the park, I was wrong. The path gets steeper, rocks get bigger and air gets thinner like it was the hardest level of Temple Run. No one's chasing you but you're catching your breathe. Occasionally other hikers cross telling you're almost there, telling you lies straight from your face but these you should not shatter me, it's just a matter of time.

Time was just the only thing I need, small rest and water break. I think I have passed all the enormous boulders, I don't think Mother Nature could be so much hard to get. I few steps more, I saw the light, the mist and the summit. It was a mixture of disbelief and relief with my heart rumbling and pounding.I made it!  The view faded all my exhaustion and fatigue because this was paradise. A few minutes and the ecstasy subsided and my consciousness lit up and my logical brain asked me: "Summit's at the top. I came from the bottom. How the hell will I go down?"


Drive your dream car!
"Out with the old and in with the new!"

FOTON premiere commercial vehicle is here, offering you  world class standard automotive at a very affordable price, not to mention their "best after-sales service and most timely spare parts." Aside for private cars, heavy equipment and construction machines, they also offer smart solutions for fleet online monitoring and Smart Navi GPS so you'll never get lost.

"Why would you swap your old car for a Foton? "

I'm not actually a car enthusiast but after seeing there packages online, I was amazed that you can actually buy good wheels for a good price. Get your Foton Thunder for only Php 98,000 all-in, plus freebies like 3-Years LTO Registration, Chattel Mortgage Fee, Comprehensive Insurance, GPS, Window visor and more; giving you as much as Php 168,000 savings . Isn't that amazing? I bet you'll trade-in your old car for this one. You can also check their new FOTON View 14-seater van giving you function and power. It's big enough, perfect for your next family outing this Christmas season.


"You want to test drive your dream car?"

Join Foton’s Big Show 2013′s Grand Launch at the World Trade Center on October 25 and witness the launching of the new FOTON View, the 1st dancing wheel loader in the Philippines. Get a chance to trade-in your old vehicles from October 26 to 27 avail of BIG DISCOUNTS and BIG REWARDS when purchasing FOTON vehicles at the event. Receive amazing giveaways just for coming and you get even more when you test drive our passenger vehicles or attend our forums and trainings. No entrance fee!

So what are you waiting for? Test drive your FOTON View by registering at http://bit.ly/FotonContest and if you're a blogger like me, you are automatically qualified. For more information, you can also check their website at http://foton.com.ph/.
 



Donya Ina
"Anak, Kalalaki mong tao. Ang hilig mo sa sexy lips na effect. Tapatin mo nga ako! Paki Explain!! Lab U!!"
Have you've been scolded by your mom so many times about not cleaning the dishes or doing your laundry Or did she ever had a conversation to you about your annoying posts on Facebook or selfies on Instagram? Well, you should be more cautious because our "Social Media Momster" a.k.a Donya Ina, from Ikaw at Ang Ina segment of Bubble Gang, is here to discipline you for good.

Donya Ina(@nanay_anak), born on October 1, 1000, according to here Facebook fan page created last October 9, has deliberately posting advise to her more than 95,000 "anak" of  how to behave accordingly over social media. She has gained instant popularity due to here amusing and striking commentaries of young people's behavior: from being pretentiously sosyal to disturbing selfies with excessive hashtags. Personally I'm guilty about this, because almost all her sermons are factual, reminding us that too much is poison.

Sometimes we think that what is trendy or in is good, but should we pause for awhile and think about it.  If you think claiming yourself cool online for a handful of likes and comments would make you a better person, you're wrong! Being true to ourselves should be the utmost purpose of communication rather than pretending to be someone else. Donya Ina is a constant reminder to us that although we can enjoy the benefits of social media, we also should be responsible for everything we post. Even though she's grumpy, deep inside she just wants to share her maternal love to all of us. Always remember that she...Lab U!


Are you top or bottom in SE*?

So you started posting online and getting the hang of it. But a few posts more and you have noticed that you’re only like talking to yourself. No one reads your blog. You find out you’re doomed and decided to stop. Should you? The answer is no. Continue reading if you want to be on top.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization has several rules and most of them are too technical or just limits your creativity. Here’s some tips that you should know how to get a decent traffic for your blog.

First thing you should write reguarly, by that I mean some good articles and not some bunch of random thoughts. Do some research about a certain topic or tell a personal experience that you think can be helpful to others.

Second, write short and meaningful, adding humor can help. Pick words that express rather than impress. The internet is vast and people don’t have enough time to read your highfalutin junk.

Third, choose the right keywords. If you’re aiming to be on top of search engine results, take a title that contains your topic and appears frequently on your article.

Lastly, just be yourself. Nothing beats originality. If you are passionate on what you do, everything else will follow. No matter if you’re on top or bottom in SEO, it becomes more rewarding to write all your heart out.


"A picture is worth a thousand words but a photoshopped one is worth a  thousand lies."

Taking pictures in a snap is easy but aligning it is another story. If you're like me who has shaky hands this is gonna be mission impossible. Could you not just ruin that nice sunset on the horizon with your bad angle? Luckily our favorite photo sharing app Instagram has the answer. You can now take those perfect moments with perfect precision.

Recently Instagram announced an photo straightening feature, as well as some adjustments on video settings. Today I was able to update my phone (Yeah! My phone as in MyPhone) and was amazed on how you can easily fix those misaligned shots. To test if it really works I decided to take a photo of the mug on top of the table and  intentionally tilted it so I can check how robust it is.The app did its trick like magic and it was outstanding.

With just a  clicks you can make your crooked photo aligned. You can located the align button on the top just before the green button (if you're using an Android device). When you hit the button, the photo will be automagically aligned and will be given an option to adjust it by making a pinch gesture or rotate it 90°. Underneath is a meter indicating the inclination, which you can adjust also by swiping left or right. Once you're done hit the check button on the top left and do your usual stuff.


  • Take a photo.

  • Hit the align button.

  • See it work.
With Instagram's new feature it makes it more convenient for users to take wonderful photos with some professional touch but I wonder if it can straighten those duck-face-selfies as well. Update yours now and enjoy taking photos more. Follow me too @daveilarroyo!


"How does Globe GoUNLI30 give you the REAL UNLI chat experience? "

“REAL UNLI” chat should let you connect to a variety of messaging apps and provide the best experience even without Wi-Fi, using only your smartphone with no additional data charges. That’s what Globe GoUNLI30 gives me. It’s a rich and powerful promo that allows me connect to my circles at a very reasonable price. I can enjoy it all day long, chatting with my friends from Batangas, Manila and  even from Italy. I love sending cute stickers and emoticons to express more during our conversations.

With GoUNLI30, subscribers get unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe/TM, and unlimited chat with the best messaging apps like Viber, Kakao Talk, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and the telco’s very own messaging app GMessage without the need for Wi-Fi or additional data charges. Available for only P30 valid for 1 day, GoUNLI30 gives you no excuse to stay out of the loop and connect with more than 1 billion users around the world regardless of mobile network or location. It’s a triple treat all in one convenient promo because you’ll never miss a text, call or chat. You can also try UNLICHAT25 for exclusive instant messaging, so you can always be updated on your next barkada hangout; like watching Thor 2: The Dark World on October 30 at Resorts World Manila Cinemas.

Unlimited chat using Globe's GMessage App
Globe Telecom only wants the best for us subscribers. So what are you waiting for? Go all-out unlimited with GoUNLI30 and UNLICHAT25 now. Register by dialing *143# and then choosing GoSAKTO on your Globe mobile phone or texting GOUNLI30 or UNLICHAT25 to 8888. Enjoy it with friends. Enjoy it with families. Enjoy it with Globe!



Social media has deluded the internet. Most aspect of human interaction has been transformed into tidbits of online persona. Your random thoughts that was once in your head can now be a 140 character long microblog, also known as tweet. Special occasions and life events will not be official until you post it on Facebook. Before you dive into your scrumptious feast, take a snap of it and post it on Instagram without missing hashtag foodporn. And when you woke up in the morning or you just finish take a bath and you feel the urge; expect a wave of self portrait expression of vanity, hashtag selfie.


Technology has surpass our humanity. The way we think from a decade ago than the way we do today is far more advanced and mind-boggling. Our identity online has become more and more life like as we share our information, habits and preferences. But although we wanted to index ourselves to the world wide web who we are, we often represent inconsistently. We tend to edit our personality to a certain degree that we assume acceptable to the public, called the Goldilocks principle. Not too much. Not too little. Just right.

Selfies has shrouded our image, depicting a perfect smile, angle and curve. Most of the times these pictures are false representation of who we really are. This is an image of how we would like our society see us. Because the reality we have imperfections like uneven skin tone or pimple marks, that can be easily erased by some clever photo filters. We are attached to misleading hashtags that describe the other you and not the real you. This might see cool to others, but to me this is crazy. A bandwagon that most of us are into. Blinding ourselves, blinding everyone around us. But who cares? We all want to look good. Not too much. Not too little. Just right.

"Just when you thought it’s Friday but it ain’t!"

Have you ever had that night that you just can’t sleep. Over thinking things for no reason. Then you end up having a midnight snack.

It’s funny how you can stay up late at night fully awake but you’re damn sleepy in the morning. I thought it was just me, but then I realize half of the human race has the same disoriented body clock as I am. So what do we do? Drink the hell out of it like an adult should do.

I’m not much of a drinker, but if in times of crisis when you don’t know what to do, you just have to dive yourself into the influence of alcohol to survive the night. With a little bit of an intoxicating ice cold drink and chips with mayo everything is perfect. You can already fool yourself to sleep. But remember to drink moderately because tonight ain’t Friday and you have a lot of things to do the next day when the week seems to run like microwave minutes. You better work b*tch!