iTunes Match
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 6, 2012
I have been using iTunes, a software that organizes and plays digital music and videos on our computer, for quite some time. I’ve been a happy user considering it’s a one-stop-shop for all music needs since it also includes iTunes Store which has everything we need to be entertained.
However, as 2011 drew to a close, a new service was launched by Apple, which made our music life much easier to manage, thus more fun! It’s called iTunes Match and it’s like Apple’s way of saying “hello Music Lovers! Here’s our pre-Christmas gift to you!” (though some may say it’s more like, “Let’s make it easier for the public to spend money when they have more disposable income.”).
What is iTunes Match?
iTunes Match is a $24.99 yearly subscription service wherein all our music (no matter how we got them) can be stored in iCloud. As result, we can access our entire music library from all our iOS and Mac OS devices.
The idea is to have music stored on a remote server (not a physical machine) and access the music from any device by downloading.
Getting Started with iTunes Match
- Upgrade iTunes to Version 10.5.1. You may do so by selecting iTunes -> Check For Updates from the iTunes toolbar.
- In iTunes, choose iTunes Match in the sidebar. Enter your Apple ID and password and click subscribe for $24.99 (Keep in mind this is a yearly fee. As such, Apple will keep charging you for the service on a yearly basis unless you tell them otherwise).
- iTunes Match will start gathering information about your iTunes library.
- Your music will then be matched with music available in iTunes Store.
- Lastly, unmatched music will be uploaded to iCloud.
- To enable iTunes Match on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, simply click Settings -> Music -> turn iTunes Match on.
Why is iTunes Match Good?
There are lots of things to love about iTunes Match. I was ecstatic when I finally subscribed to the service. I felt my $25 was well worth it and would not hesitate to renew in the years to come. It was a no-brainer and I recommend the service to everyone who uses Apple products and loves music.
- Backup Music Library to Apple’s Cloud Server – no more worries about losing your music files when your hard drive breaks down or if you lose any of your iOS devices. Your entire music library is stored in the cloud and easily accessed via the Internet.
- Ability to Play Music on up to 10 Devices – Once music is in iTunes Match, you can play your music on up to 10 devices including a maximum of five computers authorized to use your iTunes account and attach up to two Apple TVs.
- Allows You to Access your Music Library from the Cloud – Subscribers will be able to download music to their iOS devices and other PCS without having to upload every single song or repurchase media. We can re-download purchased tracks, and automatically sync new purchases to multiple devices. When you want to play an album or song, you just need need to find it in the library then download to the device that you want to play it on. You can stream the music, or press an icon with a downward arrow inside a cloud to download it. My music collection is now complete and essentially identical on all my computers and on my iPad and iPhone, allowing me to access any of my songs from any of these devices, without manual synchronization via a cable, or paying more than once for the same song.
- Tracks that are in iTunes will be added automatically – iTunes Store has over 20 million songs in its collection. It’s most probable that the songs you have in your music library are already in Apple’s database. Those songs once matched, will be added automatically to the Cloud. Uploading won’t be needed anymore thus saving us lots of time. Songs not available in iTunes Store will be uploaded from your computer to a personal locker in the cloud.
- Songs bought from iTunes won’t be counted against 25,000-song Limit – iTunes Match has a limit of 25,000 per account. However, if you bought songs using the same Apple ID in iTunes, they won’t be included in the 25,000 songs limit. That means more storage!
- Automatically Upgrade Music to 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free quality – iTunes Match is a quick and uber cheap way to upgrade. Especially if you have lots of music that are at 128kbps or even lower, this is applicable for people who have ripped CDs to save storage space when storage capacities were smaller before. By default, if iTunes Match finds a song in its library, it will replace that track with a 256-kbps AAC version. These files are DRM free when downloaded from the cloud — and appear to be the same files users purchase directly from iTunes.includes songs purchased from non-Apple music services or imported from CDs, or even those that were downloaded illegally.
- Retains Playlists, Song Ratings and Play Counts – it’s not just songs that are being stored in the Cloud. Even the playlists that we organized carefully as well as ratings that we put in each song are saved! How cool is that? To make things easier, even play counts are saved too! I found that very useful as I listen to my favorite songs often and I use the play count to easily access my favorites. You no longer need to manually sync playlists with your iOS device via iTunes — instead it all takes place over the cloud. That means my iPhone can see playlists I’ve created on my laptop or desktop. The process works in reverse too. I can create playlists on my iPad or iPhone and then access those playlists from within iTunes on the desktop or from another iOS device.
- Not a Streaming Service – on a computer, any songs stored in iCloud will stream over the air when played, though you can download them at any time by clicking the iCloud download button. iOS devices will start playing tracks from iCloud as they download and will store them so that you can listen to them later even if you don’t have a network connection. Apple TV only streams songs. That means a full copy of the song is stored for listening anytime, rather than streamed on demand over wireless networks, which can be spotty. There’s nothing more annoying than having your songs stop and start as your connection flutters.
iTunes Match is not Perfect
While iTunes Match gave a huge smile on my face, it has also provided some headaches (or even heartaches!). Yes, I’m a huge obsessive compulsive (OC) lady. I took so much time managing my tremendously big iTunes Music library to the point of individually putting album artworks and lyrics to each of the songs. Due to this, I was extremely disappointed when iTunes Match caused album art to never appear or to only show up when a song is playing.
I had a great number of songs that are in fact in iTunes Store but weren’t matched and instead, uploaded in Apple’s Cloud servers. This is another frustration in iTunes Match service. iTunes Match couldn’t match several albums in my collection, even with proper metadata. It’s too bad there’s no option to manually match tracks to their iTunes Store counterparts, which would save unnecessary uploading.
Since I have more than 10,000 songs in my music collection. I had to wait 3 long days before all the songs get stored in the cloud. Slow internet connection had something to do with it too.
Last, but definitely not the least, I got the shock of my life when I lost all my stored music on my iPhone when I activated iTunes Match. Apparently, iTunes Match will delete music stored on iPhone and will need to replace it by downloading songs from iCloud collection. But I found a solution for this inconvenience – You can turn iTunes Match off on your iOS device and download the music from your iTunes library. Then turn iTunes Match back on your iOS device and your cloud music will appear along with the music downloaded from your iTunes library.
Those mentioned are the only complaints that I had. However, some might find the ff. annoying too:
iTunes Match is Limited to 25,000 Songs – If you’re a hardcore music fan, then I’m sure 25,000 song-limit will definitely set you back. iTunes Match only works for songs, not audiobooks, videos, ringtones, podcasts and others.
Songs greater than 200MB won’t be accepted – in all honesty, is there any music that is as big as 200MB?
Is iTunes Match for You?
Just like all things, iTunes Match is not for everyone. Like for example, if you don’t have an iOS device or a Mac OS device, then subscribing to iTunes Match won’t make sense. Another one is if 100% of all your music are bought from iTunes, then it doesn’t make sense since iTunes in the Cloud (keeps all the music you purchased from the iTunes Store and makes it available to all your iTunes compatible devices) is completely free.
Let’s say you subscribed to iTunes Match then decided not to renew. You don’t have to worry as you get to keep all your 256khz music matched during the time of subscription forever. You can access them by going to ‘purchased music’ from iTunes to redownload it. The only thing that you will lose is central storage – iCloud will no longer stream/download songs to your devices.
As for me, iTunes Match’s $24.99/year subscription fee is worth every penny. It makes my life much more easier especially that I have more than 10,000 songs available in the Cloud and whatever changes I do on my music library will automatically be updated in my devices. How awesome is technology now?
Ba Noi’s House Specialties
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 6, 2012
My friends can attest that I recommend Ba Noi’s whenever I’m asked where to eat Vietnamese food in Metro Manila. Ever since I first tried out Ba Noi’s, I knew that it would be a place where I can get fine Vietnamese cuisine.
When I got the invite to dine there with other foodie bloggers, I couldn’t help but say yes. I knew I’ve blogged about it twice already and I knew I’ve been there too many times. But you know, it’s impossible to resist good food! I wouldn’t mind writing about it again considering this time around, I’d have the chance to meet the man behind Ba Noi’s.
I was glad that I can finally share with the owner how I loved Ba Noi’s food! I wanted to share with him my blog posts about his restaurant and how I couldn’t wait to eat their food again. The other thing that made me look forward to the foodie meet was that I get to try all of Ba Noi’s House Specialties in one night!
We were all chit-chatting and munching on chips while we waited for the other foodie bloggers to arrive. I, however, was already imagining myself eating Ba Noi’s Beef Noodle soup, the spring rolls and the spiced beef. I couldn’t wait to eat those savory food!
- Pho Bo (Php 250)
Perfected homemade beef noodles soup served with fresh herbs and spices.
I appreciate that even though I have eaten this dish in Ba Noi’s tons of times, the Pho Bo tasted as good every single time. The consistency is something that I really admire in Ba Noi’s. No wonder people like me love to go back to the restaurant.
- Cha Gio (Php 190)
Mixture of ground pork, shrimp, taro and black fungus wrapped and deep fried. Served with fresh greens and traditional nuoc mam dipping sauce.
I couldn’t get over the divine taste of this fried spring roll. I was raving about this dish when I first tried it out. The fried rolls tasted soooooooo heavenly even without wrapping it with the lettuce leaves provided. However, as the owner kept emphasizing, it’s best to follow the right way to eat it in order to really appreciate Vietnamese food.
- Goi Cuon (Php 200)
Pork, shrimp and rice vermicelli, rolled in rice paper and served with their famous peanut sauce.
Admit it or not, I’m sure you would want to try Ba Noi’s fried rolls yourself 😛 If you’re worried about your health and would want to stay away from fried food, then I suggest you order their fresh spring rolls instead. I strongly suggest you dip the roll in peanut sauce before eating it. And please, make sure to do that with every bite! Needless to say, people with peanut allergies will have to think twice about this.
- Banh Xeo (Php 250)
Savory delicate crepe filled with sautéed pork, shrimps, mung bean and bean sprouts. served with fresh veggies and nuoc mam sauce.
I had the shock of the night when I saw this served to us, hahaha! I was totally clueless on how to eat it. Luckily, the owner was there to demonstrate on how to indulge this mouth-watering dish. The right thing to do was to get a portion of the crepe and wrap it with lettuce then dip into the sauce. The taste was gratifying! My gosh, I now have added one more dish that I will definitely order the next time I visit Ba Noi’s.
- Ca Kho To (Php 250)
Catfish simmered in rich caramel sauce, garnish with spring onions and fresh chilies.
Surprisingly, there’s a dish in Ba Noi’s menu that I didn’t like and it’s this one. However, my foodie companions only had good words for it. I guess it really depends on your palete. 😛 I still prefer to eat catfish fried or steamed in garlic sauce.
- Bo Luc Lac (Php 340)
The house favorite stir-fried spiced beef served with fried basil and chili.
I wasn’t shocked at all when I saw that Bo Luc Lac is Ba Noi’s house favorite. Well, of course, because it’s my personal favorite in Ba Noi’s too! The beef was tender, flavorful and in spite of being on the salty side, I loved it especially when eaten with fried basil. Best eaten with rice.
- Ga Kho Kari Xa (Php 240)
Braised chicken slowly cooked in lemongrass and curry powder, infused with fresh chillies, shallots and spring onions.
Admittedly, I forgot to taste this dish. I think I was too busy eating the Bo Luc Lac that I didn’t notice this chicken dish waiting for me to savor 😛
- Banh Dan Lung (Php 135)
Warm pandan cake filled with mung bean, drizzled with coconut cream and toasted sesame seeds.
A perfect way to end a good meal!
I think I’ve run out of things to say about the food as I have described them on my previous posts (1 & 2) about Ba Noi’s. One thing is for sure, Ba Noi’s is one of the best (if not the best) Vietnamese restaurant in Manila!
To really appreciate Vietnamese food is to learn how to eat them the right way. We go to Ba Noi’s to experience Vietnamese cuisine right? Then it’s but proper for us to eat like Vietnamese people do. Look for the instruction tutorial on the table and take time to read them while you wait for your orders to be served. You won’t regret it!
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Ba Noi’s – The Fresh Flavors of Vietnam
G/F Greenbelt Mansions, Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 893-7359
Roch Finally Got Baptized
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 4, 2012
According to my favorite dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Baptism is a Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community and it’s also defined as an act, experience, or ordeal by which one is purified, sanctified, initiated, or named.
When I was an infant, I was already baptized. It was a tradition that most people follow. But what happened next?
I rarely prayed. In fact, I lived most of my life as an agnostic. I was even an atheist at one time, but when I did pray, it was always to wish that my life would end.
I saw life as suffering. I lived a hard life. I focused on my struggles and challenges in life. Self-pity became a habit. I rarely felt loved because whenever I achieved something good, I don’t have anyone to share it with. I was alone physically, emotionally and mentally.
As you can see, my mind’s been filled with thoughts of sorrow and negativity. It continued when I grew up, though of course I got happy sometimes. Like for example when I got to buy my favorite gadget. But the feeling of happiness was temporary.
I lived life one day at a time.
When I faced extreme challenges last 2004, I tried to get to know the Lord. I joined an organization that I ended up judging as a social community rather than a family of Christians. I left that fellowship and ended up being an atheist for a few months after that. I’ve been invited to several more ‘Christian’ gatherings, but I always turn them down.
Fast forward to last year, I faced another difficult chapter in my life. I don’t know what got through me but I learned to open my heart to Christianity again. When I had lunch with friends, they asked me if I could join their Bible study. I said yes. Things that transpired after that were wonderful. I attended the Bible studies week after week. I met people who I can feel genuinely loves the Lord. It changed my outlook on Christian organizations. For the first time, I felt that there’s a group who’s there to serve the Lord, meeting friends are just a bonus, it didn’t feel like a social organization. For me, this group was a gathering of true Christians. I can feel the goodness of their hearts. I felt welcomed. I felt that I can grow spiritually through their guidance. I felt the Lord in them. The impact was great, far greater than what I expected.
My impression of Christians really changed.
I started opening up. For the first time, I felt… hope. I maybe working on my spiritual life. I maybe changing my outlook in life. In one of the Bible study sessions that I attended, I witnessed a baptism ceremony. It was a declaration that they are abandoining their old lives and they are embracing life with the Lord. THey asked if I would like to join them. At the time, I wasn’t simply ready. I felt too much of a sinner. I said to myself that I’ll finish reading the Bible and be a better person before I go that route.
Last December, I got sick. I got admitted to the hospital for a week. I hated it. I NEVER ever want to be confined in a hospital. I know I don’t have a family here. I was already expecting a miserable life in the hospital. I may have some friends who would visit me, but I’m sure it’ll be a one day thing. I would be facing weird looks and facial expressions from hospital staff wondering why a person like me don’t have a family to take care of me.
But I wasn’t alone!!! I may not have a caring biological family, except for my female cousin who I care for deeply, but I have a family in Christ. Everyday, I get visitors who brought me food, having fellowship with me, reading Bible verses for me and sending me love and care. It was overwhelming, and I was truly humbled! I then realized that God is with us. We may not see Him but we certainly feel him.
As I laid down the hospital bed, I decided on several things.
- to finish reading the Bible by end of Year 2012
- be Baptized
I came to also realize that I’ll never be perfect. There will never come a time that I can say that I’m completely a good person. We are all sinners. We don’t follow the commandments everyday. Thou shall not lie right? But we always utter white lies in order to prevent conflict. Thou shall love your neighbors right? But every single day, we judge people and we criticize them (consciously or not).
I finally understood what the saints (that’s what we call the people in our church) have been telling me — that Jesus Christ saved us from all of our sins. All we need to do now is just accept Him in our lives.
I started reading the Bible… Everyday I would send what I learned to my ‘family’ via e-mail. One day, I told one of the sisters that I want to be baptized. She was so happy that she broke the news to everyone! They prepared the event on Chinese New Year (January 23, 2012). Incidentally, my mom was here on vacation so I asked her to come along.
The night started with our usual Bible study. We read the verses for study. We shared each other’s understanding of them, and when we closed the Bible study session, we prayed.
I requested for my baptism to commence after the Bible study. We all went up the 2nd floor where the bathtub is located. That tub would be the place where I’d get baptized. I was excited! I couldn’t wait to exclaim and announce to the world that I’ve accepted the Lord in my life! 😀
We all prayed first…
Then brother Frank explained to me how the baptism would go… I was really happy! I couldn’t wait for my new life to begin!
I asked friends to capture the moment for me. I knew it was really important and I really really wanted to record this very crucial moment in my life :):):)
I’m now a true blue Christian. I’m still not perfect. I missed several weeks of my personal Bible study and I still feel like a sinner. However, I know that it’s okay because I have God with me. I continue to seek Him as I try to live this world through the words in the Bible. I’m still the same person but I have a certain feeling of peace. I’m not alone anymore…
I leave you with thoughts about Baptism from my sisters and brothers in Christ.
- “Baptism is saying, “I do!” to our Lord Jesus Christ, an outward affirmation of our inward acceptance of Him.” – sis Luc
- “Baptism is a declaration that you now belong to Jesus Christ!” – sis Jo
- “Being baptized was about accepting God for everything He is and everything He has done. By accepting is allowing Him to deal with all of my sins, transforming me into man in Christ, a living testimony of Grace.” – bro Mike
- “Just like marriage is an outward confirmation of the love of 2 people, baptism is an outward confirmation to accompany the inward reality that you accept and now belong to the Lord Jesus” – sis Meng
- “Baptism is not a requirement for you to become a member of a group or religion. Baptism is a declaration to the whole world, even to Satan that you now belong to God.” – sis Debbie
- “Baptism is the end of old life, and beginning of newness in life with God. Doing everything and living with Him.” – sis Ane
- “Baptism means my old person has died and been buried with Christ, and I’m raised together with Him as a new person in new creation.” – bro Joseph
- “It is a transfer from the kingdom of satan into the kingdom of God.” – sis Shilo
- “It is the leaving of the old creation in the water, and rising up a new man. Also affirming to God and men that you accept the Lord as your savior.” – bro Mark
Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 28, 2012
It took me two visits to the newly opened bar in Fort Bonifaco before I finally wrote about Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge. In all honesty, I rarely go to bars. I always have this impression that bars are places where alcohol-drinking buddies hang out. I don’t drink alcohol and I usually just hang out with 1-2 friends at a time. It’s a good thing that I was invited to Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge’s Media launch. It changed my outlook on bars. I will now stop dismissing bars as I almost missed having a chance to take some super delicious and unique food in a bar like Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge.
As I entered Relik, I noticed how vintage it looked. I then realized that the name Relik actually came from the word, relic, which means ancient object. That pretty much explains why Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge has an old radio, typewriter, old DJ booth and some other really old stuff all over the restaurant.
In spite of the mismatching chairs and the combination of old objects from different origins, Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge looked so cozy and homey. The different artifacts blended perfectly with each other. I’m sure every single customer would feel so relaxed and at home when dining at Relik.
Relik is still new. However, they already caught the hearts of many. Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge has been booked for private functions, birthday parties, corporate functions and the like. And now that they are official launched, I’m sure more and more people will discover Relik. I, myself, will be going for lunch there tomorrow to try out their lunch sets. Apparently, Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge serves lunch sets too so I’ll try it out tomorrow. I’ll then write a separate post so you can have an idea too 😉
For this writeup, I’ll be sharing the different menu items I tried out during my two visits to Relik. The first time I was there, I sat at the dining area and on my second visit, I dined inside the VIP area. Both experiences were great especially because the food was such a delight to feast upon.
During the media launch, Chef Benjo Tuason shared with us how he gave up his life in Melbourne, Australia just to be able to bring us Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge. One day, his friends called him up and shared their plans about opening Relik. Chef Tuason packed his bags, sold his properties in Australia and migrated back to the Philippines. I also heard that Chef Tuason is a hard worker. He goes to Relik early in the morning and leaves the bar at 4AM!!! Wow! Dedication in the truest sense!
The chef described their signature dishes as ‘modern tapas’. Relik serves Spanish food and also other comfort food which Chef Benjo Tuason said he cooked with a lot of love. Naks naman! I can see that the chef is a romantic!
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup (Php 150)
My seat mates were raving about the Roasted pumpkin soup with creme fraiche. I guess the creaminess and the flavor of the soup worked for them. I’m not much of a pumpkin lover but I finished the bowl served to me. It was a nice starter for a sumptuous meal.
- Tasting Board (Php 490)
Next up was Relik’s Tasting Board that consists of Boneless “Diego Martin”. Chorizo Pamplona “Casedemont”, Stuffed “Serpis” Spanish olives and Manchego 6 months “Artequeso”. It’s basically a selection of jamons, cured meats (imported from Spain!), olives, and Manchego cheeses (from Davao). Eat it with crostini and you got yourselves a divine appetizer. Yum!
- Baked Australian Brie (Php 530)
The Australian specialty, Baked Australian Brie, must be my favorite among all the Relik’s dishes I tried so far. You might not recognize what it is at first but upon tasting it, you would know that it’s Creamy Yarra Valley Brie wrapped in jamon serrano and lightly glazed with honey. The taste of the brie is truly divine! In fact, during my second visit, I was raving and introducing the dish to my seat mates. You must eat the brie with the salsa and the crostini for a good contrast.
- Gambas with a Kick (Php 290)
I super love gambas! However shrimps are cooked, I’ll definitely appreciate as shrimps is one of my two ultimate favorite food items! Relik made their gambas quite unique by cooking it with extra garlic, hot paprika and 2 kinds of chili. Another winner dish! I was totally sold with the dish!
- Quesadillas (Php 300)
If there’s one appetizer that you’ll see in every Relik customers’ table, it has got to be their quesadillas. You can choose to have either garlic shrimp, pulled pork and BBQ chicken as filling. The filling are put together with melted cheese and wrapped in triangular tortilla wraps. Sauces like guacamole and tomato salsa are served for dipping.
- Chorizig (Php 295)
We are all used to pork sisig. Some restaurants have made their own version of sisig by changing the ingredient to either chicken or fish. For Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge, they have chosen chorizo! This was unforgettable! I just love the crispiness of the chorizo and I appreciate that the chef chosen to cut it into bits.
- Mussels & Chorizo (Php 330)
New Zealand green mussels sautéed in garlic cream and Spanish chorizo. Truly enticing!
- Lengua Bourguignon (Php 510)
We might be enjoying Lengua in Relik Tapas Bar but we have to know the effort put into cooking this savory dish. The chef actually slow-cooked the cow’s tongue in red wine, demi-glace, mire poix and lardoons.
Every bite of the lengua was heavenly. It was tender, flavorful and so good! A delicious dish indeed!
- Relik’s Mixed Paella (Php 820)
Animetric’s husband who sat with us at the same table during my second visit was commending this dish. He kept saying that this was how Paella should be made. In fact, he couldn’t stop raving. I’m not a paella expert. For me, as long as the food is tasty, I’m already satisfied. Some people have fetish on some food and I knew then, after hearing the comments from my table mates, Relik was successful. I guess the chef knew his Paella recipe by heart. Relik’s mixed paella will pass as most foodies’ Spanish comfort dish.
You have to place your order a day in advance though. One order of mixed paella can serve 8-10 people.
- Benny’s Certified Angus Rib-eye (Php 1,150)
Mouth-watering is Relik’s rib-eye steak! It’s 300g honest to goodness Angus steak served with a burnt butter sauce. I had to ask for it to be cooked well-done as I’m afraid of anything red in the meat hahaha! I would suggest this dish be shared as the meat was too big for one person to finish. You don’t need any more sauce to go with it because it’s already tasty as it is. Even the fries are good! I love the extra rocksalt that is put in every potato wedge..
- Mother Ann’s Braised Ox-tail (Php 450)
“Slow braised Australian ox- tails served with pomme puree and buttered carrots”
Among the main dishes that I tried out, it’s the ox-tail that I couldn’t get over! I loved how the meat fell off when I tried to get a serving. The flavors were head-on! Guess what? It’s actually Chef Tuason’s mom’s recipe! Who would ever argue that mothers know best?
- Vanilla & Amaretto Panacotta (Php 160)
Perfect way to end any meal is to get a dessert. The one I tried out in Relik Tapas Bar is their Vanilla & Amaretto Panacotta. I love that the panacotta wasn’t too sweet and the texture was perfect! Even the berries that they used were real and not preserved! Each spoonful of the creamy panacotta was just divine!
This is definitely not the last thing you’ll hear from me about Relik Tapas and Bar as I’ll be having lunch there very soon. I’ve been curious about it since I visited the restaurant the first time. I tried their a la carte dishes on my visits so I’ll make sure that my next trip to Relik will be for their lunch offering. I’m excited!
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Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge
Lunch: M-F, 11:30am to 2:30pm, Dinner & Cocktails: daily, 5:30pm onwards
2nd floor, Commercenter Building, 31st Ave cor. 4th St. Bonifacio Global City, 1200 Taguig, Philippines
+63-2-6248251 & +639175298333
Smart at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 28, 2012
I love it when companies embrace technology. There’s always room to grow and there’s always something to innovate. One of the companies that I admire is Smart Communications as they continue to drive innovation and bring it to customers nationwide.
From February 27 to March 1, 2012, Smart is actually represented in the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. Smart is set to demo the WAC applications that has the in-App billing feature. If you remember, Smart was able to demo the Smart Netphone in last year’s event. Look at us now, almost all Smart customers are using SmartNet and enjoying it!
I’m glad that Smart held a press briefing last night demonstrating the first few apps that participated in the effort in delivering a simple, safe and easy-to-use payment experience for customers.
This is through the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), an open global alliance made up of leading communications companies like network operators, device and network equipment manufacturers. Smart Communications is part of the Board of Directors. That explains why Smart is bringing in WAC’s payment API, a new technology which enables software developers to charge Smart mobile users directly through their prepaid or postpaid accounts.
A WAC App looks like any other mobile application, but is written using web technologies. WAC Apps can run on any smartphone (i.e., Android) for which a WAC runtime is available. Smart highlighted applications created by Filipino developers. I find them really inspiring. And I believe in just a few weeks or months, when we see the first few Filipino-made WAC applications being successful, there’ll be more. Of course, in the end, the customers get to win as things are becoming much easier and more convenient.
The common denominator in the applications as described below is the Payment API. There is no more need for users to enter a credit card number, the user only needs to confirm purchase and it will be automatically charged on their phone bill. The ease of use makes it the more exciting.
So without further ado, these are the applications that were showed to us during the press briefing:
- FHM Philippines
The FHM Philippines application is something I’m sure every Filipino guy would love to have on their mobile phones. Developed by Hand Interactive, Inc., the mobile app features a collection of the hottest celebrity covers of FHM magazine.
Other features include unpublished photos handpicked by FHM editorial team, write-ups per cover girl and most importantly in-app operator billing which allows users to download their favorite photo sets for Php 15 charged directly to their Smart mobile account. Now, isn’t that too cool?
Now you guys can have your favorite celebrity sexy photos on your mobile phone. Yes, I know you want them. I still distinctly remember how guys drooled over the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World show last year. If that show was successful, I’m sure this app would. Of course, the in-app operator billing feature will make it so much easier for you to own your favorite FHM photo covers.
FHM Philippines mobile application may be downloaded for free from the Android marketplace very soon.
- iCare
Filipinos are known to be compassionate and helpful. That is why I think iCare is a great mobile application. It allows people not just in the Philippines but around the world to donate to Philippine Red Cross and other non-profit charitable organizations.
The capability to send monetary donations through your Smart mobile account makes it much easier to help! As of the moment, the Philippine National Red Cross is the main beneficiary but soon iCare will expand to include other similar organizations.
I can’t wait for this mobile application to be available. It always feels good to help people in need.
- TopApp
I don’t recall anyone who doesn’t have any mobile phone. Especially in the Philippines, everyone is just connected. You can see companies (even non-telcos) hold contests that gives a chance to customers to win prepaid mobile loads. So it just makes a lot of sense that people would want to have TopApp in their mobile phones.
TopApp is an application that allows users to send phone credits to a Smart prepaid user in the Philippines. You can send prepaid load remotely with just a few clicks. There are different denominations available: Php 30, Php 50, Php 100, Php 200, Php 300 and Php 500. The sender then will be billed by his/her telecom provider.
Now, everything is just easy and convenient! I’m in total awe!
- Shoephoric
Shoephoric might not be for everyone. As the name implies, Shoephoric is a mobile application for shoe lovers. It enables people to share their shoe collection and discuss about them with other shoe lovers.
I believe ladies would love this application. For guys, I’m not sure they will find this interesting. If ever, I guess only 5% of the male population might download this app or use it. The story is totally different with women though. Like me, for example, I own more than 50 pairs of shoes! I even have my own cabinet just for shoes at home. So I’m sure when the mobile application comes out, I’ll be the one of the first to download.
What sets it apart is a feature called ‘Make Me Shoephoric’. It’s a feature wherein your friends can help gift you your dream shoe by pitching in money using the in-app operator billing. So if your friends have Smart mobile accounts, they can help fund the shoes you’ve always wanted.
The Shoephoric app will be available soon from the Android marketplace.
I was able to download TopApp so far. I can’t wait to see the rest of the applications come out of Android Marketplace. I’ll surely make good use of them and hopefully they’ll be free to download.
Kudos to Smart for another milestone!