Boostcase Hybrid Battery for iPhone 5
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 7, 2013
I love my iPhone 5 a lot! Having convinced several friends to purchase the phone is one real proof how I adore iPhone 5. Whenever I like something, I really show my fondness to the world. However, the iPhone 5 is not perfect. Its battery can be easily drained especially if you use LTE connection most of the time. That is why I’m constantly looking for battery cases.
This week, I discovered Boostcase Hybrid Battery for iPhone 5. It looks good and what surprised me about this accessory is its endless possibility of attaching several other accessories to the case. It makes me wanna get the other Boostcase products so I can make the most out of Boostcase Hybrid Battery.
When you’re at the gadget accessory store, you can take a peek at the box to see how the Boostcase Hybrid Battery will look like. One thing I immediately noticed is the number of dots lining at the back of the case. I also noticed the simplicity of Boostcase hybrid battery design. No matter if you’re a man or a woman, you can be comfortable using the case.
What’s inside the box
Inside the box, you can see four items:
Slim Fitting Snap-on Case – truly slim case that fits the iPhone perfectly and protects it.
2200 mAH Detachable Extended Battery Sleeve – an attachable battery that charges the phone and give 100% more power to the iPhone 5 battery.
3″ Micro USB Cable – use to recharge the battery sleeve.
Boostcase Manual – a small manual you can refer for any information about the boostcase hybrid battery
Technical Specifications:
Battery type: 2200 mAH rechargeable Lithium Polymer
Snap case weight: 17 grams
Battery weight: 79 grams
Installation & Detachment
Installation:
1) Insert iPhone 5 into the slim-fitting snap case
2) Slide battery sleeve into the snap case by matching four points of battery with the holes in the case.
3) Slide battery upward until the lightning connector is fully inserted into the iPhone
Detachment:
1) Press down on battery until it slides downward.
2) At this point, lightning connector will be disconnected from the iPhone as well as the four points of battery from the holes.
3) Pull battery outward away from case.
Features
- Slim case provides everyday protection for the iPhone 5
The Boostcase snap-on case is so slim that it doesn’t add much thickness to the iPhone 5. It’s made of rubber which makes it an effective protective covering and gives a good grip on the iPhone.
- Beautiful functional design
I love how BoostCase incorporated the design of both the case and the battery sleeve which turns out to be great-looking. It’s also quite obvious how good the quality of the case is just by looking at it. I had several questions already from friends on where I bought it.
BoostCase Hybrid battery covers the entire phone exposing only functional buttons of the iPhone. It gives maximum protection of the phone and I really love the smooth texture of the entire case.
- 2200MAH Battery adds up to 100% more power for iPhone 5
The most important function of BoostCase Hyrbid Battery Case is that it can prolong iPhone 5’s battery life to twice as much. It packs a 2,200mAh battery which has enough power for people like me who uses the iPhone heavily everyday.
- Battery Level indicator and on/off button
When Boostcase battery is connected to iPhone, the power will be switched automatically on by default. You can manually turn the battery power on/off by pressing and holding down the on/off button for 2-3 seconds.
To know the battery level of the battery pack, you can refer to the on/off button because it has LED light surrounding it which shows the power level of the battery — Green for 70-100%, Yellow for 30-70%, red for 1-30% and no color for totally 0% power.
The boostcase battery also indicates the power while recharging — flashing red for 0-30%, flashing yellow for 30-70%, flashing green for 70-99% and solid green for fully charged at 100%. Recharging time usually takes around 3 hours.
- Allows the user to add all kinds of accessories to the case
The tiny dots along the backside of the BoostCase snap-on case has a purpose. It allows us to attach to the case various accessories such as credit card holder, clutch wallet, fold wallet, kickstand, hand strap and other stuff Boostcase can think of! I love this feature and it definitely will make us appreciate this case more.
Overall, I like the Boostcase Hybrid Battery for the iPhone 5. However, there is one thing that I dislike about it –> it’s extremely hard to remove the snap case from the iPhone 5. I know the purpose of protecting the iPhone and fitting it perfectly caused this hardship but boy, I hope Boostcase thought about it considering there are people like me who like to swap cases a lot.
That said, I’m keeping the Boostcase hybrid battery and will definitely be the one that I will use everyday from now on. I’m actually thinking about what accessories to get to match my black Boostcase snap-on case. The purse would look nice 🙂
Boostcase Hybrid Battery for iPhone 5 costs Php 3,950. With that price, you can get a case, extra power for your iPhone 5 and numerous options for the accessory. In addition, you can choose among so many colors available which can fit any personality.
Vietura at Sofitel Manila
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 7, 2013
Apart from the news that Sofitel had a huge renovation of the hotel, comes a new aesthetic lifestyle center named Vietura. Vietura is a great place to visit at Sofitel Manila. I’m not saying this just because it’s new but because I experienced it myself and I enjoyed every minute of it!
Vie is the French word for life while Tura is a Latin word for natural. There is a whole lot of meaning to that name. Vietura’s ambience and services are all connected to nature and life.
When I entered Vietura, I was immediately greeted by beautiful smiles from the staff.
I also noticed the vertical garden which is composed of real plants. It made a lot of sense considering the name Vietura which means we are in commune with nature.
Vietura opened last March 2013. It is an aesthetic lifestyle center that introduces a comprehensive and holistic approach to wellness. It’s about going beyond cutting corners and quick fixes with non-invasive procedures that still present you with results that satisfy your goals. Vietura is about finding the interconnection between aesthetic procedures, integrative medicine and lifestyle coaching. In short, Vietura is really about us. Whatever we really need or want to feel, Vietura is there to fulfill it.
The ambience
Vietura has three Consultation rooms, nine Treatment rooms, two Colonics rooms, two IV rooms, two Doctor’s rooms and one Dental room. The colors are all neutral which means that Vietura is not only catering to a certain gender. Everyone would feel at home and comfortable while having their treatments at Vietura.
Even the room names have a certain meaning! I loved it!
Consistent to the design of the whole place, each room has a vertical garden. I just love the ambience. Being inside Vietura is like vacationing in a beautiful place of nature. It’s so relaxing and I love the things that I see!
According to the manager that I talked to, Vietura taps into our five senses:
- sight – neutral colours, beautiful lighting, vertical garden, clean interiors
- hearing – peaceful and quiet
- taste – welcome drink which I really loved (more to that at the latter part of my post)
- smell – special aroma inside Vietura
- touch – soothing touch
My Vietura Experience
I tried out Resolift/Resodepth, a 15-minute procedure that uses electrodes to tighten the skin on the face. I’m not really into facials but I gave it a try.
I was asked if I want to have juice or tea. However, I was lucky enough to have tried both the blooming tea or blueberry sensation and I loved each one! My golly, I wish I can make those for myself!
The Vietura technician then asked me to wear the Vietura wardrobe and lie down on my back at the bed. She asked me to put the metal thingy under my knee. The metal has to touch the skin for the resolift machine to work.
She then started the procedure by putting cream on my face and using the machine to spread it out. The feeling was warm but it was manageable.
Halfway through the procedure, the technician asked me to look into the mirror and see the difference between the two sides of my face. Apparently, she applied it on one half of my face first for me to appreciate its effect.
At the latter part of resodepth, my face was wiped clean.
I definitely feel refreshed. Of course, I was positive that I had a clean face. That was a good 15 minutes.
If you brought a friend with you who is planning to just wait for you to finish treatment, they can have a soothing experience while waiting at the Vietura lounge. Vietura really thought of everything that could satisfy their client.
There are a lot more that I appreciate about Vietura:
- You can check out and pay inside the room. How convenient isn’t it?
- There is a secret exit for clients who do not want to be spotted availing aesthetic treatments.
- Vietura is good for both male and female. The ambience of the place definitely proved it so.
- You can book any of the treatments prior to visiting Vietura. Once you arrive, you can go straight to your room.
Vietura is not our usual beauty center. You get pampered just the way you like it. There are currently promos ongoing at Vietura which are really tempting: Laser Hair Removal at almost 90% off and Mesocellulite for Legs at 50% off.
Visit Vietura Aesthetic Lifestyle Center’s website for the complete list of services.
——————–
Vietura Aesthetic Lifestyle
G/F Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila, CCP complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1300 Metro Manila, Philippines
+63-2-5515555 extension 1656, 1658
info@vietura.com
http://www.vietura.com
2013 Philippine Election Applications for iOS Devices
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 6, 2013
There is exactly one week left before the 2013 Philippines Election. Have you chosen the candidates that you will vote for? Do you know the do’s and dont’s in election campaign? Did you know in which precinct to go to? Do you know who the candidates are for senator, mayor, vice mayor, etc?
If you use any iOS devices, then you are in luck because there are two applications that can help guide you through the elections this coming May 13, 2013. I really love that everything is online now! Government agencies such as COMELEC is embracing technology, and partnering with the right groups to bring us mobile applications that are so useful to Filipinos like you and me.
Both applications can be found on the app store and are free.
e-Leksyon 2013
e-Leksyon 2013 is a project supported by Smart Communications to help inform and educate voters for the May 13, 2013 Philippine elections.
It was built by a group of young developers from the Smart Developer Network for free. Meant to be used by COMELEC to help guide voters in things like reporting violation, simulating ballots, finding precinct, and learning what campaign violations are.
e-Leksyon 2013 is a pretty simple and straightforward mobile application, but it is fit for purpose and fit for use. I love that I get to learn about campaign violations in a nice way. Other than that, I appreciate that COMELEC is making it easy for Filipinos to report campaign violations by candidates. In all honesty, a lot of candidates are guilty of that so I hope we can make use of this tool to help our government too!
Features:
- Precinct Finder – If you are a registered voter, you can find your voting precinct. You can also help your friend find his/her voting precinct. Results can be saved and viewed later on at ‘My Precinct’ section of the application.
- Ballot Simulation – learn to properly shade the ballot to make sure that your votes will be counted. Sample ballots can be saved and viewed later on at ‘My Ballot’ section of the application.
- Campaign Violation Learning Module – a complete training for voters to understand the violations in campaigning. Are the posters we see in the streets legal? Is campaigning on election day allowed? Get to know those and more by browsing through the module.
- Reporting Campaign Violation – once you understand what the campaign violations are, you can now report through the e-Leksyon application a candidate or party list who against them. Those reports will be received by Comelec.
Download e-Leksyon 2013 for free.
Comelec Halalan 2013
Comelec Halalan 2013 is a mobile application made in partnership between Comelec and ABS-CBN. It allows us access to relevant election-related information any time, anywhere through our mobile phones. The application was launched as part of ABS-CBN network’s advocacy to help voters in making informed choices this upcoming elections.
I love how comprehensive, and useful this application is. Comelec Halalan 2013 covered almost everything that we need to know of regarding the Philippine Elections 2013. Things like complete list of candidates (including local!), list of COMELEC offices, a lot of how to’s, voter’s registration checker, precinct finder and a compilation of news about candidates and election.
The infographic on the ‘how to’ section were so nicely done that we wouldn’t miss not reading it. Even if there are a lot of information embedded in the application, they were neatly arranged and placed appropriately. This is one of the best Filipino-made application in the iTunes app store.
Features:
- Voters Status Checker – allows voters to check the status of his/her eligibility to vote.
- Precint Finder – allows voters to locate his/her precinct or polling place.
- Halalan 101 – guides voters with important information regarding the elections
- How to Register
- Are You Qualified To Register As A Voter?
- Things to Bring When Registering
- Step-By-Step Process of Registration
- How to Validate Your Registration
- Step-By-Step Process of Validation
- Transfer of Registration
- Step-By-Step Process of Local Change
- How to Transfer Your Voter Registration in Case You’ve Changed Residence Within the Same City or Municipality
- How to Register for OAV
- Things to Bring When Registering
- Step-By-Step Process of Registration
- Candidates List – according to location, voters can see the list of candidates for national and local positions with candidate’s profile if applicable.
- Election News – offers election-related news from ABS CBN and myCOMELEC.tv
- BMPM Report – allows voters to submit citizen journalism reports with photos and videos through the Bayan Mo, I-Patrol Mo feature.
Download Comelec Halalan 2013 for free.
Iron Man 3 Movie Review
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 2, 2013
Iron Man 3 is definitely the most anticipated movie last weekend. When I went to the mall to check out the cinemas, there weren’t even other movies being shown apart from Iron Man 3. Guess what? We even had to queue for half an hour just to be able to purchase tickets. When we finally got to the ticket counter, the next 2 showing times were already fully booked. We had to wait for 7 hours before we can watch the movie. Were all those hassle worth it? Hell yeah!
I must say that Iron Man 3 is the best Iron Man movie yet! It blew my mind and definitely exceeded my expectations. While I loved the storyline, the action scenes and the comedy, it was Robert Downey, Jr. who made me love and enjoy Iron Man 3 thoroughly!
Downey must have been the most charismatic actor in Hollywood. In spite of us seeing Iron Man on the big screen four times, we never get tired of the character. He portrayed Tony Stark brilliantly. In this movie, Stark had a lot to go through, to the point that he was traumatised. But you know what? In spite of that, Robert Downey Jr. was effective in showing those emotions and still keeping the same comedic quality.
Robert Downey Jr. is the star of Iron Man 3 and I must say that he was the biggest reason why the movie is successful. However, other stars were so great as well and were perfect supporting cast. Celebrities like Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, and even Gwyneth Paltrow were awesome! Gwyneth was given a bigger role this time with Pepper Potts joining the action. She was gorgeous, sexy and definitely kicked some ass out there!
I also liked how Iron Man 3 focuses on Tony Stark versus Iron Man. We get to see Downey’s handsome face a lot in the film. The way they changed how Stark wears his costume is something that you should be looking forward to!
Iron man learns a valuable lesson in Iron Man 3 and you have to watch out for that. With Tony Stark’s world destroyed by the enemy, he had to depend on his own instincts and devices in order to survive and save his loved ones. Through that journey, Tony Stark is starting to realise what is most important to him. The ending would really put a smile to your face 🙂
Oh, and you have to wait for the after credits…. you’ll enjoy the small surprise from the playboy/billionaire/genius/philanthropist Tony Stark and a special guest 😉
My rating for Iron Man 3: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Speck SeeThru Satin for MacBook Pro
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On April 28, 2013
I had my MacBook Pro 13″ for several months now. However, it took me some time to find the perfect case for my beloved laptop. Now, I finally found the case and I loved it! When I went to the store, I was looking for the red color case. They didn’t have it in stock so I ended up getting a purple one. I said to myself that if I’m getting satin, might as well get purple as it’s most known when it comes to velvet/satin.
The product is called Speck SeeThru Satin and it’s engineered specifically to fit onto the unibody MacBook Pro. I remember distinctively that I used a Speck SeeThru case on my old MacBook Pro 15″. That case though is different because it was glossy and a bit slippery on the hand. The Speck SeeThru Satin case which I got yesterday was a complete upgrade and improvement compared to Speck SeeThru. I guess the difference is with the material used on the exterior of the case particularly the rubberized coating. Speck SeeThru Satin is such a high-quality case with an elegant and soft feel.
When you see the case on display, go on and touch the case to feel and understand why it’s a must-case for your MacBook Pro.
The Speck SeeThru Satin includes two pieces of hard polycarbonate plastic with an added soft-touch rubberized exterior coating. The silky feel is the most wonderful feature of the case. I actually notice myself caressing my MacBook Pro every now and then 😛
Of course, the SeeThru Satin design blended well with MacBook Pro’s minimalistic design. There are available cases for aluminum unibody MacBook Pro 13″ and 15″ including the ones with Thunderbolt port.
I started with the bottom case and I noticed two things:
- Ventilation slot that works perfectly with the MacBook Pro’s internal ventilation process to keep the gadget cool and safe.
- Rubberized feet to cover the black rubber pads on the MacBook Pro.
The front case, on the other hand, is a work of art.
Its translucent coating enables the Apple logo to show through the top. The Speck SeeThru Satin case is supposedly 30% thinner than the old version of the case. I appreciate the thinness plus how the case holds everything together with the very small clips on the edges.
The design of the SeeThru Satin is spot on. I do not need to remove the case whenever I need to access any of the keys, sensors, ports, plugs or buttons. I can open and close my MacBook Pro just like how I do it without the case. All features of the MacBook Pro are accessible.
I really love how the Speck SeeThru Satin was put together. Everything just works!
Putting the Speck SeeThru Satin case is like giving the MacBook Pro a makeover. I appreciate that it has a lot of color options that would match ones’ personality.
I can go on and on about its benefits… If there’s one word I can say about the case, it would be beautiful!
The Speck SeeThru Satin for MacBook Pro 13″ costs about Php 2,450. While the price may set you aback, that feeling will diminish quickly when you start using the case. The form-fitting factor and the soft-touch hard shell are so great that it will be so hard to resist not getting one for your Mac laptop 🙂
