Category: Technology

Have you been wanting to know what song Smart used in its Live More Commercial ad?  I know I do as I like the message that Smart has been sharing with us through their Live More Campaign.

We’re in luck because Smart has finally released the full version of the song.  What’s cool is that Smart subscribers can download the song for free!

Do you know that Smart even commissioned international artists to make the song, “It’s Your Life” for Smart?  The two musicians worked across time zones to deliver the beautiful Smart Live More anthem.  While James Banbury (Hong kong) and Pete Davis (Sweden) have collaborated in the past for other popular brands such as Marriot Hotels, Tropicana and Cathay Pacific, the Component Music artists are also established musicians in their own right.

James was the cellist of truculent cult Brit-band The Auteurs.  He also arranged strings for U2, Depeche Mode and Snow Patrol while Pete wrote scores for films such as Moulin Rouge and Coyote Ugly and has programmed and performed on records by New Order, Gwen Stefani and Bjork.

The Video

Haven’t seen the whole original composition by James Banbury and Pete Davis for Smart’s Live More Campaign?  Well, listen and watch here 🙂

The Lyrics

I can relate to the song that it inspires me to live my life to the fullest.  It reminds me that time is in my hands and I shall own it and do the things that I like to do.  Listening to the song made me want to pursue my goals even more.  We should stop worrying because it’s our time and it’s our life!

It’s Your Life

My love is always the same,
It shines forever.
Shoot across the sky tonight,
(It’s your time)
I don’t want you to change,
It’s enough that you’re always there.
(It’s enough that you’re always there)

(It’s your time)
Feel the love
Shine forever
Here we go…

It’s your time
It’s your life

My life is more than a game,
(Calling out your name)
I don’t want you to change,
Yeah, I know that you’re always there.

Time’s your life
Make the most of every moment
Here we go…

It’s your time
It’s your life

How to Get a Copy
FREE and EXCLUSIVE to SMART Subscribers

There are 2 ways to use the song:  You can download the song in itself and listen to it in full or you can also download it as a ring back tune on your phone, isn’t that cool?

• Full Song – Get your copy of the full song “It’s Your Life” for free by simply logging on to http://m.smart.com.ph/livemore and click on download.
• Ring Back Tune – Be one of the first to have the song, “It’s Your Life” on your phone as a ring back!  Simply text LIVEMORE and send to 2728.  Enjoy this FREE for 30 days (auto expire).

The Smart Live More Campaign

There wasn’t any mention of the Smart brand throughout the song but the message is clear: to Live More.  It’s really not about the telecommunications company but it’s about our time and our life.

With the song centered on our personal lives but a company pushing that message only means that Smart is working with the customers in mind.  If we read between the lines, then we can decipher the message that we can count on Smart for reliable connections (signal & network coverage) so we can spend more time on important things.

Nicely done Smart.  The song is perfect for the campaign!

We first heard about Friendster’s revamp last 2009.

This year, Friendster officially launched as Southeast Asia’s social discovery and gaming platform through a big event that happened at SM North Cyberzone Activity area entitled ‘Friendster FunXtion‘.  The event featured the unique fun experience that the new Friendster site offers such as playing online games, meeting new friends and winning cool prizes.

The event was hosted by Adz Sison and popular cosplayer, anime and gaming enthusiast, Ashley Gosiengfiao.

There were cosplayers left and right.  I really love seeing them and how they brought their favorite anime characters into life.

These days, photo booth has always been a mainstay in events.  The ‘I love friendster funXtion photo’ was a good souvenir for those who attended the event.  I wasn’t able to have my picture taken but I enjoyed seeing several folks donning wacky wigs and making cute faces to the camera.

Gaming booths were stationed all over the activity area where it featured some of the games that Friendster has.  I did try one of them and I logged in to my friendster account once I got home to play more.  I was totally surprised!  Friendster was totally revamped!  I had to take a virtual tour of the site to understand what the new features are.  If you have an existing friendster account and haven’t been checking the site, you should try it now.

There were performances by Callalily, Gracenote and Paraluman in Friendster FunXtion.  I was able to catch the performance of Callalily, the crowd went wild when they came out!

It was a pretty fun event!  I really wish Friendster the best as I’ve seen them repackage Friendster quite a few times for the past 3 years.  Hopefully, this time around, they get it right…  I do like their new tagline though: ‘friendster – living the game‘.

The changes were brought about by the acquisition of Friendster, Inc. by Asia’s leading e-payment and e-lifestyle provider – MOL Global Pte Ltd (MOL) in 2009.

Under the leadership of Friendster, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Mikhail Nikolai Galicia and MOL Global Group Chief Executive Officer Ganesh Kumar Bangah, friendster was repositioned from being a social networking site where testimonials were popular to a gaming platform where virtual currency can be used to purchase virtual goods, online games and applications.

The new Friendster included features such as a new user-friendly interface, selection of avatars to suit your personality, chat with friends via the Friendster Chat Application while playing games on Friendster, over 50 online games from 8 different genre like role-playing, strategy, simulations and card games, earn rewards through points for every activity within the site including adding friends, engaging with friends, daily log-in or playing any game and simple, easy-to-obtain virtual currency that can be used to purchase virtual goods, online games and applications in a safe and convenient manner.

Friendster was a social networking site pioneer.  It was the first social network site I got addicted to.  That was where I got several touching testimonials, that was where I was able to catch up with several friends and that was where I started to get addicted into networking with friends online.  This time around, Friendster repositioned itself to be a gaming platform.

Congratulations Friendster and good luck! 🙂  Visit friendster.com and discover the new site!

I don’t like the stock earphones included in my iPod Nano.  In fact, mine was broken already.  That’s why I’m on a lookout for another brand to use when I jog or when I’m out.

I’m just happy when I learned about Urbanears Bagis.  It might be the one that I need!  They have cream color which I really like as I still want to use something that would remind me of Apple.  Besides, I’m using it with my iPod Nano, might as well, partner it with Apple-ish designed earphones.

Getting the earphones out of the box is an experience in itself.  I love how Urbanears made it exciting like the cute message they printed inside the box (see photo below).

The catalog included was beautiful!!!  I found out that Urbanears has a vast lineup of headphones.  Bagis (the one I’m reviewing now) is their compact version.  I wish I could get my hands on the other models 😛

What’s in the box?

3.5mm stereo plug compatible with music players using the dimension
Urbanears Bagis earphones
small/medium/large size sleeves
Urbanears product catalog
warranty information
Urbanears sticker

Features

Urbanears Bagis has some distinct features.  One of them which I noticed quickly is the combined fabric and TPE cord which was made to eliminate distortions caused by friction.  Friction, the exact reason why my Apple earphones failed on me.  I guess with Bagis earphones, I don’t have to worry about that.

The earphones are lightweight.  When plugged into the ear, you get transported to whatever you’re listening, isolating you from the environment.

No matter what device you are going to use Urbanears Bagis with, it’ll surely work as it has a mic and a remote.  I don’t need it as I use my Bagis earphones with my iPod Nano but nevertheless, I know I can use it when suddenly I need to plug it in my iPhone.

For audio, here’s the specifications: 9 mm handmade driver, frequency response 20Hz-20kHz, Impedance 16Ω, Sensitivity 107dB & Max Input Power 5mW.

Snap Construction

My favorite feature of Urbanears Bagis is this.  Each earpiece snaps together.  It’s really cool and the first time I actually see a capability like that in earphones.  With those earpieces snapped together, we can carry Bagis around the neck.

Overall, a very good product!  Small, lightweight, useful, has decent sounds (not much bass but it’s okay), and nice features.  I’ve found my earphones to use for exercising and it looks sleek when connected to my iPod Nano! 🙂

Urbanears Bagis is available at PowerMac Centers, iStudio, Digital Walker, Digital Hub and Beyond the Box Stores at Php 1,200.

You might have heard of SmartNet via Twitter or from Smart Subscribers.  You might be wondering what it is and how it works.  You’ve seen celebrities, bloggers and friends rave about the service.  You’re already familiar with the name of the service, SmartNet, but you want to know more.

With this in mind, I decided to write a blog post about the features of SmartNet.  I’ve written about SmartNet before when Smart launched Netphone 701 and Samsung Galaxy Y Netphone edition.  I thought I shared enough but I guess SmartNet deserves to have a blog post here in HeaRty’s Haven on its own.

I’ve been using SmartNet on my Netphone 701 for several months now.  It serves as my backup when my data plan fails on me.  I never have to worry about losing internet connection because with SmartNet, we get to access Facebook, Twitter and SmartNet for free!  Yes, that is why I agree with Smart’s tagline: Live More.  We live more if we have SmartNet.  You don’t even have to worry if you’re using postpaid or prepaid.  As long as you’re using a Smart SIM, you can have SmartNet!

SmartNet used to be available only on Smart Netphones like Netphone 701 and Samsung Galaxy Y.  But now, with the newly released Android application, you can have SmartNet on any of your Android-powered device!  Isn’t that cool?  Install it via Google Play and you’ll be on your way to enjoy the awesome features of SmartNet!

So what is SmartNet?

SmartNet is a suite of applications that works with Smart Network for subscribers to enjoy its services even more!

• Smart Center

– Check your postpaid bill or prepaid load balance instantly
– See and track your current subscription
– Choose and purchase packages to subscribe to
– Reload your phone without visiting a SMART loading center
– Pay your bill without going to a payment center

• Safe Browsing

– Turn Net setting to Internet to surf the web using your prepaid load.
– Turn Net setting to SmartNet to use SmartNet, Facebook and Twitter for free without worrying about charges!

• Chat

– Send a “friend request” so friends on SmartNet and Netphone users can add you to their contacts via the Global Directory.
– Send “FX” messages – special messages featuring sound and video.
– Chat with your friends on Facebook or YM.
– You can add friends via web, www.smartnet.ph.

• Social Stream

– Update your FB status & Tweets on-the-go
– View your friends’ status updates & tweets

I mainly use SmartNet to check my prepaid load balance through Smart Center and check Twitter/Facebook status updates from friends through Social Stream.  SmartNet has really been very useful to me.  If you’re on Smart, I highly suggest you download SmartNet now! 🙂

Smart is really going all out in their campaigns.  The biggest network company has been introducing innovations one by one the past months like Limited-Edition Data Plan 1000, In-App Billing in WAC apps, iPhone 4S Holiday Camp Out Launch, Samsung Galaxy Y Netphone Edition, Samsung HTC Beats Launch & Smart Netphone 701.  Smart has been aggressive in introducing new services in order to fit every type of consumer in the country.

With all these new technologies and services, it just made all sense that Smart rebranded itself.  This campaign impressed me the most.  The way they introduced the company, the way they rebranded themselves and the way they showed how technology is for us and how using Smart’s services can resolve our connection frustrations.

First, they introduced a new logo…

Oh, yes!  The old, boring corporate logo is now replaced with a cooler, youthful logo.  The new Smart logo spells fun all over its image.  I love how lively it felt like.  The new logo now fits Smart’s diverse products and services.  The right logo now coupled with the right brand.

Then, Smart launched its new tagline: #LiveMore with Smart…

In this new Smart TV commercial, Smart talks about what happens when technology fails us.  It showed a problem then offered a solution among the different services that Smart can offer.

Scenarios shown are the ff.:

• A mother who wasn’t able to call while she’s trying to fetch her daughter (the call you can’t make can mean you don’t care).
• A birthday surprise prepared by a group of friends to a celebrant who’s miles away (with a bad connection, a moment is lost).
• A couple fighting over a text that didn’t come (a text that never came can cause your relationship).

And with that, the ad ended with this strong statement: “In a world where every second counts, count on Smart, the biggest network – to belong, to let go, to spend your precious time in the small things, because your time is your life and the less of it you waste, the more of it you live.”

What I like about Smart’s recent campaign is that it strays away from traditional advertisements.  There were no big stars in the TV commercial and no boring introduction of technology.  What we see is what we’ve always asked for from a Telecom company.  We want to have our connection needs met.  We want our voices heard with all our problems with technology.

The campaign is something we, audiences, can relate to.  Good job, Smart!