The Beanster Blog

 Mac Star Wars Easter Egg 1. Open Terminal 2. Type “telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl” (no quotations) - hit enter 3. Go thru prompts (if necessary) 4. Star Wars will be shown in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) art. Enjoy the show. Source: "11 Apple Easter Eggs Inside of Your Mac and iPhone http://t.co/F264kxB8wp via @sharethis " — Lia Espina Lopez (@leeyahgrl) December 31, 2014 http://mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=57527

FBI blames North Korea. But IP address can be spoofed. Malware code can be bought, modified and reused. Korean on the code is not the dialect spoken in NK. No solid evidence. No mention of "The Interview" in the 1st weeks of the hack. Hard coded passwords and paths in the attack code and thousands of layoffs earlier in the year, point to an inside job, not an attack by "always evil" NK. When this happened it was clear that revenge was the motivation not stopping a dumb movie, the interview only came into play when lame-stream media made the connection. US spinning this as a state sponsored threat against corporations so the companies are forced to get in bed with intelligence agencies on data sharing. Listen to: NO AGENDA SHOW #679 and #680 for excellent deconstruction Read: Why the Sony hack is unlikely to be the work of North Korea.

Offline YouTube Follow Up After I posted my previous post I started thinking what about my own videos (content I put up)? Well it worked (almost). You get prompted to choose the quality and off you go. However you also need to be on wifi to download.  I suspect user uploaded content is ok but content with copyright or intellectual property may be disallowed. Still needs more testing. 

Offline YouTube for Countries with Crap Internet (Philippines included!) YouTube is taking pity on viewers from India, Philippines, Indonesia. Allowing the download and retention of videos for up to 48 hours. This means we can say goodbye to buffering and watch that favorite clip for 2 days. What a great idea. I have not been able to get this to work on cellular data here in Baguio city. Can't connect to hotel wifi. So I will have to test this in Mandaluyong with my cable internet from SkyCable (2.5 months of erratic service already) which is not certain also.  So this is a great idea if you can get the damned video to download in the first place. It is also worth noting that maybe all the videos I selected are really restricted because of copyright or intellectual property issues.  Have you been able to get offline YouTube to work? Which video gave you success?  Source:  http://www.phonearena.com/news/YouTube-now-supports-offline-video-viewing-but-there-are-a-lot-of...

Mockingjay Call M4R =  http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/4343114/ MP3 =  http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/4343113/ Use as an SMS alert or Ringtone.  May the odds be ever in your favor… 

You can now access your Dropbox files directly from Microsoft's Office Mobile apps. (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

If you save bookmarks to the Home screen on Mobile Safari you may want to try this out on your own blog. Here is how to use Apple Touch Icons for your Blog or Website. These instructions are for blogger / blogspot which I use for both my personal blog and my podcast . You will need the following: An icon or image you want to represent your site. A simple image editor to resize the image.  Dropbox or somewhere to host the image files. A bit of HTML coding. You need a total of five images to handle all the resolutions on iOS. I used preview on OSX to duplicate and resize my png file. I placed it in a folder inside my Dropbox Public folder Now for the HTML CODE: Here is the basic code you will need to put this after HEAD  on your blog's html then replace the image source with the public link generated by dropbox . portions of the code snipped for privacy. Go to Blogger Template then edit HTML paste it right after head (see photo) and save ...

cloudHQ dashboard is neat and simple We live in the future, where our files are in the mysterious cloud and we get to save space on our devices and have the files available anytime, anywhere. That's great and I love it. However when there are a lot of different services some problems may occur. Dropbox, OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive), Google Drive, Box are just some of the cloud storage services available nowadays. Well if you use any two of these or in my case all of these, your stuff is all over the place. Getting them all synced up can be a huge pain in the neck. Thankfully there's cloudHQ this service helps you keep your stuff synced across multiple services and it is easy to setup and the best part is you don't need to download anything it's all done in the cloud! I did a one way sync from my Dropbox to OneDrive. They even have a Chrome Extension to check on your sync status. The trial gives you a few Gb of content to sync across services and there a...

MIUI 4.9.5 Weekly Build is out. It's a relatively small update at 61Mb.

Chrome puffs rejoice!

I have been experiencing some app crashes and decided to see if XiaoMi had release a firmware udpate for the Mi3W so I went and tried an OTA update.   as you can see from the screenshot the updater says I had the latest version. NB: I believe this was the shipping version for me. Of course I was not contented with this and decided to check XiaoMi's website. And the newest version is KXDMIBF23.0 I began downloading it and checked the older versions and there were a lot more versions there so if you have a Mi3W go to the website so you will be able to get the latest version it seems their OTA system is not working properly. BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE CORRECT VERSION FOR YOUR DEVICE http://en.miui.com/download.html BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE CORRECT VERSION FOR YOUR DEVICE Here is the forum link for MIUI ROM Flashing Guide Also PLT FindMyHeadset and PLT Hub apps are still crashing on this version of MIUI.

My SMART SIM card has been residing in the XiaoMi Mi3W coming up on a month now. This decision was made since I was not getting LTE at home or at the office anyway. The Mi3W is a H+ (3.75G) device only. Yesterday I saw SMART boasting about LTE-Advanced (they are calling it 5G) more false advertising and empty promises from SMART. I have decided to keep my SMART number for awhile longer because changing numbers is such a chore and to cover my bases. I do miss iMessage on my SMART number tho, I guess WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger will have to do. Meanwhile on the iPhone 5S I have had my newly minted Globe account with a recycled number which means SPAM text even without giving out my number. Changing the number is an unnecessary expense that I would rather not have so I guess I am stuck with this number. I have not been using it heavily since I have a 1.5Gb cap on my current plan. This actually made me think about how my iPhone uses data. I went into Settings -> Cellular -...

Here is an odd WAZE error I noticed. Using the Calendar integration WAZE decided to use another address for the location I set on my calendar.

This is a bummer for someone like me who relies on iTunes credit to buy stuff from Apple.

I was playing with “Find My Phone” feature on iCloud.com recently and I noticed that it was using the wrong time. The Lost Mode email I checked my iCloud account My device time and region settings Judging by the time in the email, iCloud / FMF is ignoring my account and device settings and using Cupertino Time instead of Manila Time. Manila (Philippines) Friday, 1 August 2014, 07:50:00 PHT UTC+8 hours Cupertino (U.S.A. - California) Thursday, 31 July 2014, 16:50:00 PDT UTC-7 hours Corresponding UTC (GMT) Thursday, 31 July 2014, 23:50:00  

Office 365 now gives 1TB of OneDrive storage  TYVM MSFT :-D

I visited Globe Telecom Powerplant Mall. I was able to change my plan from 299 to 999 with out the additional charge of an early termination fee (ETF). As I stated in my previous post Globe is dumb and the call center staff did not know what she was saying.  Along with this new plan I got a bigger LTE data bucket. Globe's 999 plan has a peso value of 1700, I got the GoSurf 999 (5Gb + Spotify premium). 1700 less 999 that leaves me with 701 consumable credits for calls and texts. I asked the staff at Globe Telecom Powerplant Mall and when I exceed the data bucket, I will be charged an additional 1500 pesos (no matter how much I exceed) my other option was to get a different 5Gb bucket that has  Globe's Fair-Use Policy . I figured, if I do exceed the cap I would rather pay the 1500 and use the faster LTE than get slowed down to EDGE. Since my cut-off is on the 24th of the month this new plan takes effect on 24-Aug-2015. So I have to be frugal with Globe data for the mean...

I left Globe late 2011 and moved to SMART. Nearly two (2) years later my situation with SMART has deteriorated to deplorable levels at home and so-so at work. Still no LTE for both. I got a Globe line recently and have been testing their service. I must admit the last time I was with Globe I had a terrible experience during their upgrade phase. SMART - I pay 999PhP/monthly for 40 mins, 100 sms, and unlimited data. GLOBE – for testing I got a 299PhP/monthly plan with 500 peso value, this peso value I applied to a GoSURF 499 package (1.5Gb data + Spotify Premium for 6 months) so I have 1 peso left. that’s 1 SMS everything else is on top. My strategy: Reduce my SMART plan from 999 to 349 (the lowest plan with SMART) as I transition from SMART to Globe. Increase Globe from 299 to 999 (peso value 1,700) and get GoSURF 999 (5Gb). The staff at Globe center V-Mall told me I can upgrade anytime so I call GLOBE and ask how to upgrade my plan. Now here is the dumb part: I was informed to...

The Globe SIM card has activated at 6:38PM. I was able to link my existing free Spotify account and convert it to a Premium account. So I have Spotify Premium until January 21, 2015 2:43AM to be exact.  Spotify Premium works across all devices even if it was registered via Globe. So it is working on the Mi3W which is currently using my SMART SIM card.  Now on to the all important data. Do I have LTE at home?  The answer is yes and the speed is good. This is a definitely a point for Globe and against SMART.  Let me recap,  At Home in Mandaluyong city:  Globe = LTE  SMART = No Service or GPRS or 3G with no data / slow data. At Work Marikina city: Globe = TBD, I need to test it.  SMART = 3G acceptable speed Note: with my plan I have 1.5Gb of data or 1500Mb that means 50Mb for 30 days. Not much for a heavy user but I think this will be sufficient for testing and emergency purposes. 

Got myself a Globe line after 2 yrs.  I hope I don't regret this.  I chose the lowest plan possible which is P299/mo which has a P500 PV (peso value). For my combo I chose GoSurf 499 which includes. 1.5Gb data Spotify Premium  So basically I have 1 peso left on my plan and everything else is on top. I do not expect to exceed 1.5Gb as this is a secondary line and not my main one.  According to Gerry (or Jerry) the sales person at Globe Center V-Mall My LTE SIM card should be activated in 3 to 5 hours.  Spotify Premium is free for six months only, after that I can choose to continue the service for 129PhP/mo via Spotify or Globe (I haven't checked) Data allowance is not affected by using Spotify. I am skeptical that this is the case. I mean will they monitor the traffic on my device and mark Spotify's usage as free while the rest of my consumption is counted against my allowance? [edit: reading between the FAQ lines it seems Spotify Premium w...

In my use-case SMART's signal has been deteriorating.  When I turn into my street the signal goes from 3G to No Service or GPRS. When I am in my room it also goes from No Service to fake 3G. Fake 3G meaning the iPhone displays three bars but sometimes there is no data connection. I am quite certain it is not my iPhone because even my Samsung loses it's signal sporadically. I have four accounts with SMART.  1 999 iPhone plan for my personal mobile 1 freedom plan for my 3G USB modem when cable internet is out 1 freedom plan for work 1 freedom plan for work I have two prepaid sim cards with Globe 1 Samsung Galaxy Data SIM - I got this free when I bought my work phone 1 Prepaid SIM card  Contacting SMART's support via twitter or their hotline they always repeat the same script: Apologize for the inconvenience Ask me to reboot my phone Tell me their network doesn't have any issues in my area. This is no good. I moved from Globe to SMART in 2011 in the hopes of getting LTE it...

LEFT: Google Now recommending an album.  RIGHT: Google Play not allowing me to purchase.  FYI: The item is available on iTunes. 

So after a week on (mostly) only Android. I therefore conclude that the OS has come a long way from gingerbread. I think credit is due to both Google and Xiaomi. The MIUI does not get in the way. There isn't a lot of useless stuff included (take a hint Samsung). The Mi3W is great value. It is well spec'd and beautifully made. Kudos to X & G, for a JWD. If I was not heavily invested in the iOS / iTunes ecosystem or I if I were of a mind to seriously switch, it is possible, however it is not totally painless depending on which computer you have (Mac or PC). Android was designed for the cloud. But in my case I do not trust the Philippine ISPs and Telcos. I would still need offline copies of my content and data simply because our internet is NOT reliable enough. As I have said in my previous ramblings streaming may be big in other countries but it is not a reliable option for the Philippines (YMMV). I do love those free services. Google still has the upper hand when it comes t...

I have an older model car and my iPhone 5S isn't recognized via the USB cable. So it came as no surprise that the Mi3 was not recognized as well. On my iPhone I can connect my Plantronics headset and my car at the same time and switch the audio target on the fly between the two this seems to be not possible with the Mi3. I have to go into Bluetooth settings and manually select the target which disconnects the other device. When connecting to a purely audio device like a bluetooth receiver the headset portion is retained and the media portion is switched. There is no easy way to switch the output. How can a modern device not be able to maintain multiple Bluetooth connections?

The screen on this device is very nice and crisp I have no complaints. I have to mention size again. After a little less than a week I am still bothered by the size of this device. I am sure I will get over this eventually. But yeah this is a big phone, my iPhone with a case fits in the standard car cup holder, the Mi3W without a case doesn’t fit my Ford’s cup holder. Here is the Mi3W with my iPhone 5S I never thought I would be saying this but I sort of miss the lightning cable connector. I do not miss the crappy quality of the cable but the reversible nature of the plug itself. Micro USB is still very practical but I cannot wait until they implement the reversible thing. Having used the iPhone 5 & 5S, I now feel that the earphone plug is better located in the bottom of the device it really does get in the way less. The Mi3W did not come with a pair of earbuds, I have been using my BOSE SIE2i with it. The MFB works to play/pause music or answer calls but the volume butto...

It's "Show Your Lock Screen Saturday", I have been on a Ralph McQuarrie kick lately the photos from #McQuarrieMonday on the web. XiaoMi Mi3W   Samsung GT-S7582 What's on your Lock Screen/s???

Today the Video Player icon has gone missing. I know the app is still on the device because the video I loaded still played on the default player. I have scoured all the folders and I have no idea where the icon went. Speaking of video, watching videos on this device is fantastic! The drawback of course is I cannot play iTunes purchases but since Google Play Movies are now available in the Philippines, I guess that is a wash. One thing the iPhone can do that this device can’t is Netflix. Now that’s a huge let down. Also this phantom icon has appeared and when I uninstalled it Google Search gets uninstalled too. Weird stuff for sure. Another thing that happened to me... I wanted to check on my yahoo password so I could link my Flickr account to Instagram on the Mi3W. When I opened up eWallet, my password was not being accepted. Upon checking I realized it was the default blank wallet. Both my wallets were gone. I suspect that the Mi3W cleanup I did last night nuked ...