Annoying Google Ads In The Middle of Google Play Games

Google seems to have made recent changes on Android phones. Their ads are suddenly appearing in the middle of a game. I wouldn't mind it if the game was Chess which takes a long time. But if the game were Clash Royale, where 5 seconds of delay can cost you the match - this ad ruins the user experience on a phone running on Google Android. I wonder if the higher ups of Google took this into account before they approved the ad changes with Google Play.

Instead of the ads appealing to a user, I think it creates more detest every time the ad appears on screen. It hurts the Google brand. And while some websites may attribute the ad to possible malware, the fact that the ad has Google's signature on it means that Google is still behind it.

So, this is an appeal to Google from a user. Please change the way you place your ads in your Google Play applications. A Clash Royale match lasts for a few minutes. Being interrupted in the middle of a match can turn the tide and result in a loss. The ad cannot be closed immediately because Google has integrated a 5 second delay before you can press on the close button. The ad can show up before the application starts or after the user closes the application.

A Possible Solution To The MRT Problem

With the MRT trains failing frequently, why is the government in such a rush to build another MRT project from Quezon City to Bulacan? Shouldn't the government address the current situation and stabilize it first before beginning a new endeavor? Otherwise, you'll have another mess when the new MRT project starts failing after a few years of operations.

People want the current MRT fixed, but also want uninterrupted service. Sometimes, you have to shut the system down to overhaul a system. If a car breaks down, you have to use other means of transportation while the car is being repaired. But in a capital which is heavily reliant on the MRT for its commuters, shutting down this mode of transport might only happen if no trains are no longer available. And with 7 trains remaining in operation, that day might come sooner than expected.

Perhaps a long term solution to this problem is developing our own competency in train operations. I think U.P. Diliman tried doing this when they built a mini-MRT model on their campus, but I've yet to see a train going around the campus - perhaps because the line has not even come full circle yet. But if the premier university in the Philippines cannot do it, perhaps it should be done by schools and private institutions collectively. Bring the best and brightest minds from the academe, government, and private sector and build a Fellowship of the MRT (ala Fellowship of the Ring). And we might have some experts in the PNR and LRT systems that might also be able to lend a hand in this mess.

Develop local competency in building our own trains - because you can't fix what you don't know how to build. This will take a lot of time, perhaps decades, to achieve. But if we become experts in the train transport field, then maybe we can export our own train technology to other countries in the future. We should not continue relying on foreign countries for materials and spare parts to fix our problems. We could initially ask them for help in education, but we should learn to develop our own technology.

I've seen old steam locomotive trains still running in Japan up to this day. Those trains are decades old, but they have been reliably maintained. If Japan and other countries can do it, I think Filipinos can do it, too.

Credit Card Calculations

Tried crunching some numbers using a spreadsheet. At a monthly interest of 3.5%, and assuming you only borrowed money at the beginning, and only paid the minimum payment per month (here, assumed at 4% of the outstanding balance), it would take 77 years for you to reduce the borrowed amount by 99%. 77 years to nearly pay-off the original money you borrowed. It takes more than the average lifespan of a human being to pay-off a debt. And by that time, the bank would have earned about 693.18% or nearly seven times the amount you initially borrowed off monthly interest charges.

Also, during the first year, the bank would have earned more than 40% of the borrowed amount just because of interest charges, and you would have only reduced the balance by roughly 6%. Compare 40% with 0.1%, the annual interest rate that depositors charge banks to lend the banks their money. That gives the bank a net profit of 39.9% by simple being the middle man.

By the second year, the bank has already earned about 80% of the borrowed amount via interest charges and you would have only reduced the outstanding amount by 11%.

The lesson here is that it's unwise to only pay the minimum required payment per month. Try to reduce the outstanding balance to zero by the end of every month if you want to utilize a credit card effectively. Otherwise, you are better off with cash because credit card interest rates are oppressive. I would advice my friends against using credit cards at all.

Intex Keyboard Review

I just bought an Intex keyboard from PC Express and it hasn't even been a month and a key on the keyboard is already problematic. You have to press on it several times before it registers on the screen. Throughout the many years I've been purchasing keyboards, this is the first time the keyboard has failed in such a short time.

So, let the buyer beware of the Intex brand.

DFA Passport Renewal 2017

I tried the DFA online appointment system. I was scheduled over a month ago. When I arrived on my designated time slot, 3 to 4 in the afternoon, there were about 50 people ahead of me. Is the processing time so quick that they can fit in 50 people within that time frame?

Then, I realized that the 50 people were all mixtures of new applicants, renewals, and perhaps other reasons for having an appointment with the DFA. It would have been nice if they separated renewals from new applicants. That is probably one step in streamlining the process.

Second, there should probably be an OIC checking if the applicant has all the necessary requirements before telling the applicant to wait in line. After waiting for about 45 minutes, and finally being let inside the DFA processing area, the checker who was receiving photocopies of I.D.s told me that they needed my birth certificate. I presented them with the original NSO issued birth certificate, but they said it has to be the green one issued by the PSA. I know that in a bureaucratic setting, workers are probably just concerned with following the rules so that they don't get in trouble with their superiors. But I cannot understand why renewing a passport requires a birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) when I already have an old birth certificate issued by the NSO. And my date of birth and place of birth has already been established in my old passport which I applied for in 2009. (Renewals, in my opinion, should no longer require a birth certificate. And as far as the PSA is concerned, all they do is enlarge the original Birth Certificate. So if the original details on the birth certificate are not clear, you practically have a useless document. If they are going to charge 315 pesos for the document, then they should at least have all the information on the original document printed and verified along with the birth certificate they send to the person so that the DFA cannot say that some of the fields are unclear. But again, instead of requiring a birth certificate, the DFA should just be able to verify a person's date of birth and place of birth from the PSA since these are the only fields required for a passport.)

Also, I cannot understand why the DFA has to keep the original birth certificate? That costs 315 pesos to apply for online and will take between 3 to 5 working days to arrive by courier after payment has been made. Is the PSA without a government budget that they need to partner with the DFA in order to earn money. What did the DFA do with my original birth certificate record? Throw it away or incinerated it? And that was only eight years ago.

Shouldn't government agencies be able to cross-check records with one another? Why does the Philippine Government have to be so backward in the age when people post Instragram photos regularly? Isn't it enough that the government earns so much on taxation - that there's plenty of opportunities for corrupt officials to pocket huge amounts? 950 pesos to get DFA approval to travel abroad. 315 pesos to get PSA's approval for whatever you are applying for - job, passport, etc. Plus fees for the government I.D. which you will need as an additional requirement. It's like each agency is trying to make money by being a blocker for whatever you are applying for.

I pity the new graduates and people who are applying for a job for the first time. You haven't even started earning an income, and the government is already milking you for money. Why does a printed document have to cost 315 pesos when a photocopy only costs 50 centavos. Same thing with a driver's license - 350 for an I.D. that can't even be supplied on time. Then there's NBI, BIR, SSS, Philhealth, Pagibig... the list goes on and on with every agency wanting to take money out of your pocket.

If government agencies would just coordinate with one another, there wouldn't be a need to get a birth certificate and photocopies of a government I.D. All one would do is give one's name and an inter-connected network of government agencies should be able to check your birth certificate, current valid government issued I.D., and personal information. Why fill out an online sheet if Step 3 at the DFA still requires the DFA personnel to re-enter your personal details. Why re-input your fingerprints if the NBI already does this? Why re-enter your signature if the PRC, and any other government I.D. you apply for requires this?

The government should help ease the burden of it's citizens, not make their lives more miserable. There is a lot of redundancy in government agencies, because quite frankly, that is the only way the government can create jobs sometimes. But if majority of the jobs that government provides are careers as pencil pushers and gatekeepers, you can't expect this country to develop innovative minds that are focused on value creation.

Cost of Applying for a Passport as of this writing:
Birth Certificate ------    315 pesos
Regular Passport -----    950 pesos (15 working days wait period)
-------------------------------------
Total Cost ------------ 1265 pesos

Optional Additional Costs
Courier delivery ------   150 pesos (Passport delivered at your doorstep)
Express Passport -----   250 pesos (Additional charge to cut down waiting period to 7 working days)
-------------------------------------
Total Cost ------------ 1665 pesos

Isn't it enough that we pay our taxes when it is automatically deducted from our payslips and from the goods and services we avail of? A government can become too greedy in that it has to make it's services a money-making scheme, too. A government should support its citizens and help them become productive. A productive citizen will be able to generate income that can be used to pay for taxes. A printed piece of paper shouldn't cost 315 pesos when printing out a page from a computer shop is only 25 pesos and sending it by courier is 150 pesos. A photocopier inside a government agency should not charge 3 pesos per page of a xeroxed document when a regular photocopier would only charge 0.5 pesos. And an organization should not be charging 1720 pesos for a certificate of good standing needed to apply for a PRC license. (Yes, granted that the organization says that the certificate of good standing is only 20 pesos, but you can't avail of it without paying for their membership fee.) Then take into account the monthly penalties for not renewing the PRC license when the government isn't penalized at all for not issuing driver's licenses and car plates on time.

I've probably gone off-topic, but I'm just dissatisfied with the way our government is being run despite the promised change that should have come.

Globe's New Transfer to Supervisor Policy

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, Globe surprises you. Beginning 2017, when you ask to speak to a supervisor, you are given a Reference Number instead of being able to speak to the supervisor immediately. You are then transferred to a queue where you might have to wait indefinitely. This is in the hope that you probably have something more important to do and decide to end the call. All this does is adds more delays to the dispute resolution process.

Globe's customer care policy seems to revolve around creating more delays in the process than actually resolving issues immediately.

"Globe. Mahirap kausap." should be their new slogan.

I think the reason why supervisors probably came up with this new policy is because agents have been flooding them with transfers. But a probable reason for that is that agents are not empowered to resolve issues. Take a Bill Dispute. An agent can only request a Bill Adjustment, but some other department approves it. And that department will most likely reject the Bill Adjustment. So, after a month, if the customer thinks that his bill has already been adjusted, he ends up seeing an even bigger bill. So he has to repeat the same process, but ask for a supervisor so that the adjustment is immediately approved. The customer has to waste a lot of time just to get an adjustment done.

So if you take out the supervisor out of the equation, the bill adjustment never happens. After three months of non-payment, the customer's service is cut. And if the customer wants to continue the service, he has to pay a re-connection fee. More money for Globe at the expense of an unhappy customer.

At some point, if Globe wants to lose their customers, they will. For the customer, it's only a matter of finding an alternative service provider.

Globe Telecom Continues To Perform Badly Under Ernest L. Cu

Despite all Mr. Cu's alleged efforts to improve Globe's services, Globe continues as one of the worst Internet Service Providers in the Philippines. And I think their stock price reflects that.

They are actually at a worse position today compared to a year before despite the gains caused by Philippine elections during the middle of the year.

From a customer's standpoint, I've had to deal with their technical support service eight times in the past ten months of 2016. They sure are consistent - consistently under-performing.

We've lost our internet connection for five days, and until now it hasn't been restored. We've called their hotline, and even spoke to a supervisor named John Iraga who promised to provide us with feedback, but hasn't done so. They can't even provide a reasonable timeline on when their service will be restored.

I guess Globe's goal is to steal customer's money by hoping that their customers opt out of their service once they discover how bad it is.

And with Mr. Cu at the helm, Globe will probably find itself declaring a state of bankruptcy.

Postscript:

After roughly two weeks of dealing with Globe and still not being able to resolve the issue, we decided to shift to a different ISP. Good riddance Globe Telecom. Hope you don't end up acquiring our new ISP and turning their services to $hi+.

Akari LED Circular Lamp Causes TV Interference

While watching Game 3 of the Ginebra - Meralco Finals, I noticed that the TV had a lot of interference compared to the times I've been watching before. It turns out, my friend bought a new LED circular lamp to replace the old one.

The new LED purchased was the Akari ACL-V83ADL. Below are the specs:

• 2-in-1 LED circular lamps
• The light cycles from the middle to the outer and then both, when you switch it on and off repeatedly
• One lamp is rated at 4 watts while the other is at 16 watts for a combined 20 watts when both lights are on
• 6500K daylight rating
• 1650 lumens rating
• 220-240 VAC
• 50/60 Hz
• 1299.75 Php

Ace Hardware should reconsider allowing this product on their shelves. I absolutely DO NOT RECOMMEND the purchase of this product since it interferes with TV signal receptions. Who knows what other electronic devices are affected by this device when it is turned on. It might even be a health hazard.

The Philippines should really reconsider allowing LED products to proliferate in the local market. These new-types of lamps have not been tested long enough for people to study their long-term effects on other gadgets and human health.

Letter Calling for Ernest L. Cu's Resignation as Globe CEO

Since Globe customer service can't or refuses to give Mr. Cu's contact information, I will publish this letter in the hopes that this message reaches him.

Mr. Ernest L. Cu,

Globe's customer service, as a whole, is poor. My family has been with with Bayantel for more than 10 years and we have not encountered the type of service your agents have exhibited today. I called up the Globe customer service hotline at 4121212 at around 4 pm and first encountered an agent named Bea Morales. I asked to speak to her supervisor regarding a recurring issue, but after waiting to speak to her supervisor, the call was dropped.

I called up again, this time, speaking to a John De Leon. I asked for his supervisor, Mark Reyes. I asked for Mr. Reyes' supervisor, Lucas Pantanilla, but after waiting for a long time, my call ended back in the Globe telephone queue where you are asked to input numbers to get to the right department.

During the third call, I spoke with a Menchi Delmore. Her supervisor was Mirasol Llamera. While Menchi's handling of the call was excellent, I am still disappointed at the way Globe has handled my concern. If I asked to speak to a Bayantel supervisor in the past, my request was accommodated.

Sometimes, someone more seasoned is needed to understand why a recurring issue remains unresolved.

Please improve your services. Otherwise, please resign from your post as CEO and give the job to someone else who can do better instead of allowing Globe's reputation to remain in the gutter.

ISP Sacrifices Phone Connection for Internet Connectivity

If you are a long-time Internet user whose landline is bundled with your internet plan, you might have experienced this situation already. You call your ISP and tell them that you have no Internet connection. You are of course using your landline to call them up. They send a tech over to try and resolve the situation. Your internet connection is restored but your phone's dial-tone goes dead. One problem is solved but another is created.

ISPs that offer a bundled landline and Internet service usually have two divisions. One specializes only in telephone repair while the other specializes in Internet related-problems. I, for one, think that this is a scenario that needs to be changed. They should only have one division that makes sure all types of problems faced by the customer is fixed.

Your landline needs two wires to work properly. Your internet connection only needs one. So, to the repairman who belongs to the Internet division, as long as he restores your internet connection, his job is already done. It does not matter if you lose your landline's connection. As far as he is concerned, it is now a problem that the telephone division needs to address.

But both divisions belong to the same company. So, you are actually creating more problems for your company. And in the process, the image of your company is being tarnished.

Fix all problems at once. Do not create more problems just to solve existing ones. Most often, if you go to the root of the original problem, you can avoid creating additional problems during the process of coming up with a solution.

A Terrible Customer Experience With Mang Inasal Delivery

I was ordering the usual PM2 meal from Mang Inasal so I was surprised that the bill was significantly higher than usual. When I asked the agent at the other end of the line, I was surprised that she raised her voice back at me when I was simply questioning why the bill was higher than before.

It turns out that they were charging more for the extra rice I ordered. I was wondering why this was the case when Mang Inasal is known for giving unlimited rice to their customers. It turns out, they are now charging 22 pesos for each additional order of extra rice.

So I finally agreed to the order hoping to get the delivery done with. It turn out, I had to wait an extra 30 minutes above the allotted 45 minute delivery time. Other fast food restaurants would have given a gift certificate for a deduction on the next order. All Mang Inasal's management did was offer an apology. Strange, since Mang Inasal is supposedly under the Jollibee food chain. But to be fair, Jollibee doesn't exactly honor their 200 peso gift certificate promise for late deliveries. It is all BS.

The driver finally arrives with the order, and gives me the change. I often get the correct amount when they do this so at this particular day, I didn't count the change properly. It turns out, the amount I received was lower than what I should have gotten.

That's three strikes for Mang Inasal on a single delivery. It's really sad that this is happening when I have been a long-time supporter of their services.

BPI Queue

Went to BPI today to make a deposit when I realized that their electronic system for writing down the details of a transaction via a touch screen terminal is more than a year old. But despite being a leader in this field, not many banks have adopted this electronic system. Banks like BDO, PNB and Eastwest still make use of the traditional paper and pen for noting down transaction details. And from experience, the electronic system has not been better than the paper system. In fact, the electronic system has probably made queuing worse for bank customers.

Why is this so? I've noticed that BPI's "efficient" system allows people to quickly obtain a queuing number. So more people end up waiting inside the BPI branch. There have been occasions where the crowd has been so dense, I was worried that the people coughing were spreading some virus. And all they are really doing is waiting for a transaction that should be over within two minutes. But the wait time to get to the teller can range from thirty minutes to an hour.

Is this a marketing advantage? Will people flock more towards a bank that is full of people? Does that mean that the bank is better compared to a bank with less number of people?

The banks using a paper system have similar queuing times. (Assuming they have the same number of tellers as BPI - usually two.) And this is where I appreciate BDO more since they have more tellers available - usually four - compared to two tellers from other banks.

If the electronic system makes no difference, why has BPI maintained it instead of reverting back to a paper system? Is the cost savings on paper and printing outweighing the cost of maintenance (electricity, ink, paper and repair) of these new machines? Or does BPI simply want to be seen as different - more technologically advanced, perhaps - than its competitors?

If they can somehow solve the teller bottleneck, then I'll probably be impressed. I don't think a customer should spend more than five minutes in a bank for a simple deposit transaction. ATMs have already solved the withdrawal side. Why hasn't an automated system solving the deposit side been made until now? Shouldn't banks be eager to take away our money from us? (And yes, I know that they have to make sure that what they are taking is real and not counterfeit - and this is one of the reasons why these types of transactions take time)

Globe Acquisition of Bayantel, A Worsening of Service

Bayantel used to at least send technicians within a promised period of 24 hours. Now that Globe Telecom has acquired it, they are instilling worst practices in order to minimize on expenses. And that probably includes downsizing on manpower, and using technology that is prone to failure.

This year alone, I've had to deal with internet connection failures for the past three months, and a no dial tone issue this month. Instead of receiving service, all I get are sloppy excuses and insincere apologies. "We are upgrading our services", "Sorry for the inconvenience".

The no dial tone issue is still unresolved after six days, and Bayantel won't even give us the courtesy of sending a technician. "Your phone is ringing whenever we call it." That doesn't mean that the phone works. I've tried calling our number with the unit disconnected and it is still ringing. Shouldn't you as a service provider verify that you can actually talk with the customer before closing the case?

So for people who are thinking of applying for a Bayantel connection, think twice. Better yet, just find a different internet and phone service provider. If you don't believe me, just look at all the customer complaints on Bayantel's Twitter page. ( @askbayan )

And as for you, Bayantel, don't be sorry. Just refund the payment for the days when we can't avail of the services we paid for.

Post Script: It took Bayantel 11 days to fix the issue.

Bayantel Frequent Disconnectons 2014

After a terrible time with Bayantel last November 2013 dealing with frequent disconnections that took 8 service calls before finally being resolved by a physical port re-assignment or port re-blocking, Bayantel is at it again. But this time, they have a new excuse for the disconnections besides having a congested network. According to them, since they have been acquired by Globe Telecommunications, the "upgrades" to their system is the cause of the frequent disconnections.

If these "upgrades" are improvements, then why is the service becoming worse instead of better. And even the personnel making service calls are less accommodating. When I suggested that hardware replacement might resolve the issue, they said that they won't replace it since they believe that the Globe improvements are causing this issue.

So, what are customers supposed to do at this point? Apparently, the new management is saying, it's either you just take whatever we're willing to give you, or go to the only other competition which has far worse service than we have (PLDT). With Globe's acquisition of Bayantel, there are fewer internet service providers competing. And when there is hardly any competition, then service providers don't really need to provide excellent service. "Acceptable" levels are enough. And as long as consumers tolerate this idea, then Philippine ISPs will remain sub-standard compared to global service providers.

Bayantel Worst ISP 2013: Ongoing Intermittent Connection

Even after speaking to a manger at Bayantel, they have failed to resolve this issue. Manager states that port re-blocking is usually a final solution to this type of problem if all parts between the customer and the service provider have been replaced.

Port re-blocking, according to them helps ensure that the customer is not in a congested network. I tend to think they may be right. After several years of accumulating new customers, it is possible that there are periods during the day when there are simply too many customers connected, and that results in some of the customers connection getting cut-off.

Still, after all that talk, here's today's ping test. This happened between 6 and 7 A.M.

BayanTel Worst ISP of 2013 Ongoing Intermittent Connection

I have had 6 service calls from Bayantel and they still have not resolved the intermittent connection issue.

Below is the ping test of the day.

Bayantel Worst ISP 2013 Intermittent Connection

Still part of continuing monitoring of Bayantel's service. This issue started since September 26 and is ongoing. Bayantel cannot come up with a solution. So I guess I have to live with this problem or change ISP.

Don't make the same mistake of choosing Bayantel as your Internet Service Provider.

Bayantel Worst ISP Provider 2013

Already had 5 service calls at this point. Modem was replaced. Splitter was replaced. Made sure phone line was static and noise free. And the "last resort" according to them was having my port changed from the cabinet.

After observing for another day, here's my ping test results.

Download speed was 0.8 Mbps while upload speed was about 0.6 Mbps.

Requested bill adjustment for unsatisfactory service.

Bayantel Worst ISP of 2013

Took several attempts just to get this post up. Still experiencing intermittent internet connection. It has been like this for more than a week now. Already had four service calls from various technicians.

Phone line was already checked. They made sure that it was clear.

DSL Modem and filter have already been replaced.

On my part, I've already replaced my LAN card with a brand new one.

ISP states that I should continue to monitor my connection. Ping results are shown below.

Let this be a warning to those who want to apply for a Bayantel DSL connection. You might be better off with a different service provider.

First Time in SM Mall of Asia Arena

Since the Philippines is host to the FIBA (Federation International Basketball Association) Championship this year, I was invited to watch the quarterly finals round at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. There were two sessions, morning and afternoon, each involving 3 games between various Asian countries. We got there at around 1:30 p.m. and were easily able to purchase a ticket for the morning session. We were able to watch the game between Iran and Jordan where Iran won by roughly 40 points.

But after that game, we had to purchase another ticket for the afternoon session, something I consider inefficient, but from a manager's perspective, this is very shrewd. Management's excuse, almost all of the tickets for the afternoon session have been sold. So what people will actually be lining up for are the tickets that were not yet sold, mostly the expensive ones.

We waited in line for almost four hours only to find out that there were no longer any tickets available. Scalpers would come and go trying to offer those in line tickets almost double their purchase price despite their being a rule that they might face a penalty of 5,000 pesos and imprisonment for repeated offenses. But these scalpers didn't seem to mind. They would prey on foreigners mostly, those who had money to burn. And despite security personnel being present, none of these scalpers seem to get caught. Are they in cahoots?

At the end of the four hour wait, the tickets left unsold were more than ten times what we could afford.

We were forced to watch the Philippines versus Kazakhstan in a nearby restaurant. What was surprising was that when we were watching the game, there were still some seats in the Mall of Asia Arena that were vacant. Management could easily reason out that these were seats purchased / reserved in advance but customers simply did not come to avail of.

But what I would like SM's leaders to improve is their queuing management especially for one-time big events such as these. I would suspect that managing the Finals game would even be a greater task. But people shouldn't be wasting time. Sure, having long lines is a form of publicity - but it also showcases inefficiency. There could easily be a monitor, posted along the queuing hallways, showing how many seats are taken, and how much space is available, and how much ticket prices cost, so that unsuspecting customers are not duped and the practice of scalping could be lessened, if not eliminated.

The only consolation for the people in queue was being able to see stars like Vic Sotto & Pauline Luna, Tito Sotto, Anjo Yllana, Bayani, Ogie Alcasid, and Olsen Racela enjoy their comfortable VIP rooms with glass walls, their beer and delicious food, as they watched the game in giant TV screens, sitting in comfortable chairs. I once thought that the queue was one of the things in life, such as sickness or death, which does not discriminate. But yesterday's experience reminded me and perhaps many other Filipinos of the great divide between the rich and the poor in our country, and that queuing is an act not just of the poor and underprivileged, but even of the middle class.

So for those having trouble getting tickets reserved for the game, you are better off staying at home and watching the FIBA Finals game comfortably from your local channel. You too, could sit lazily at home, drinking and eating, while enjoying the Finals game with the company of your friends and loved ones.