Can You Name This Plant? (37 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (36 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (35 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (34 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (33 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (32 of hopefully many)

Can You Name This Plant? (31 of hopefully many)

SKK Chronos Era

Bought a new phone since my old phone was starting to have issues. Was looking for a comparable phone from SKK, near the price that I purchased over a year ago. The closest priced unit was the Chronos Era at 2799.

Here's the specs for the SKK Chronos Era based on the CPU-Z app from Google Play

Display: 4.59-inch 720 x 1280 pixels 320 dpi (same as what I had before)
Chipset: Mediatek MT6580 (same)
CPU: 1.3GHz Quad-core 4x ARM Cortex-A7 (same)
GPU: Mali-400 MP (same)
RAM: 960 MB (half of what I had before)
Storage: 5.24 GB internal storage
Memory: roughly 1 GB
Main camera: 8 MP (rear) (lower than what I had before)
Front camera: 5 MP
Connectivity: 3G/HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
Freebies: Jelly case (instead of a Flip case)
Ports: microUSB
Android Version: 6.0

I think I'm beginning to have buyer's remorse because some of the specs are lower for roughly the same amount I shelled out last year.

In terms of performance, I was able to test out Clash Royale, Google Chrome and Instagram, and these are all working fine. Clash Royale was playing well without me having to adjust any settings.

I'm not a fan of the movable "button" on the screen for home, minimizing windows, and back. I think this was invented so that in case a part of the display no longer works properly, you can still move the button to a different part of the screen so that it can still function. But it is an eyesore when you open an app and I find that I have to move it to a different part to press a button on the app.

Also having a hard time adjusting again to a "physical" app management button. But this unit has that at the middle bottom part. Having to long press that to be able to cycle through all open apps, then swipe left to close the app seems more tedious than the swipe up - swipe left motion I got used to.

They tried to make the phone's interface look like an iPhone by using iPhone-like icons. You can look like an iPhone, but it would be better if you could perform like an iPhone.

Now, for some positives.

If you're a text to speech fan, it is now easier to get alternative voices. You no longer have to download additional apps on Google Play for additional voices on the phone. There's already an option under Settings > Language & Input > Language to select additional voices.

You now have an option to transfer files using the USB cable instead of charging the phone as the only option. In my previous phone, downloading File Manager to transfer files wirelessly was the only option.

I guess that's the end of my positive list. I'll try to come up with more as time progresses.

So, technology does not always advance with time. After a year, I was expecting better specs for the same price. But I feel like I got a downgrade for the same price. Maybe I didn't search well enough. I was actually considering the iRobot brand because their prices were below 2,000 pesos for roughly similar specs, but when I used their display, it seemed slower than what I was used to.

Maybe I should have gone for SKK's Hyperblade X, which was what the sales lady was aggressively pushing. But it cost 500 pesos more. I'd like tech to be better at the same price, or same at a lower price.

UPDATE: Was disappointed with this unit. I was getting all sorts of malware installed in it despite doing a factory reset and installing Kaspersky as my first app. It appears that the phone comes bundled with malware infested apps. Why would SKK even consider such a practice? One of the apps with built in malware was the HD Player. And once the malware has infected your phone, it is pretty difficult to remove it despite installing and updating antivirus or anti-malware apps.

Ginebra Wins Game 1 of the PBA Governor's Cup Finals

Barring any unfortunate injury, Ginebra might just be on its way to winning another Governor's Cup Championship. With the solid game they played tonight, they outclassed the Meralco Bolts and nearly had a twenty point lead as the game neared the end of the 4th Quarter. Basketball fans in the arena were making an early exit, knowing that the game was more or less decided even with five minutes to spare.

And I expect nothing less from the team that knocked out the Grand Slam seeking San Miguel Beermen with a thirty-point blowout and in only one game. And if you look at Ginebra's front line, they are actually pretty distinguished players. Joe Devance was the first overall draft pick in the 2007 PBA Rookie Draft. Japhet Aguilar was the first overall draft pick in the 2009 PBA Rookie Draft. And Greg slaughter was the first overall draft pick in the 2013 PBA Rookie Draft. LA Tenorio was the 4th pick overall in 2006 and Scottie Thompson was the 5th pick overall in 2015. Not many PBA teams can say they have a core made up of high caliber talent. Plus, you have the PBA's Coach with the most wins.

Greg Slaughter's return has really made this Ginebra team deadlier. It is hard to double Justin Brownlee if you have a 6'11 player who can play the post or go for the rebound. Contrast that with Alan Durham on the Meralco side. Once he decides to go for a three point shot, it has to go in. Otherwise, there's hardly any chance they'll get it back.

And the three point shot is really Meralco's only way of keeping this game close since they don't have any other post threats aside from Alan Durham. Ranidel de Ocampo is really more of a stretch 4 than a post up presence like Kelly Williams. And tonight, Meralco's threes were not falling in as much as they wanted. And even Ginebra's three-point shooters were finding their range.

Tim Cone on the other hand prefers twos rather than threes. The higher percentage shot is better. That's why his teams are susceptible to losing to teams that can shoot the three at an excellent clip. Coach Cone would rather be beaten by the three, than inside the paint. And that's why San Miguel Beer was a nightmare match-up for him. That is until Greg Slaughter solved the Jun Mar Fajardo problem.

Meralco doesn't have a Jun Mar Fajardo. Alan Durham is the closest thing they have to a post up player. So, Durham will have to focus on a purely inside game. Leave the threes to your shooters like Baser Amer, Garvo Lanete, Jared Dillinger and even Reynel Hugnatan. If these players get hot from the three point line, then Meralco might make this finals series interesting to watch.

Coach Norman Black can actually try playing a speed game with Amer, Tolomia, Newsome, Dilinger and Durham. But that would only work if they can get the jump on Ginebra and build up an early lead in their next game. If Newsome could keep dunking in the open court like he did with that incredible dunk in the first quarter, then maybe Meralco could have a chance.

Another strategy is to double Justin Brownlee and let the locals beat Meralco in scoring. But if they can somehow shutdown Brownlee, and keep Ginebra in a low scoring game, then maybe they can tie this series.

It would be interesting to see both teams' adjustments in game 2. But without players who can bang bodies on the inside, a Ginebra sweep is probably gonna happen.

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.

Import-less TNT Goes Down Fighting

Yesterday, the Talk and Text team tried its best to even up a series where Ginebra was leading two games to one. And for about a third of the game, they were doing well, even erecting an 18 point lead against the Gin Kings. And this was despite losing their import, Glen Rice Jr. in the latter part of the 1st Quarter.

If Glen Rice Jr. has already played in the NBA and NBA-D League, it boggles my mind how he ended up letting Ginebra play mind games on him and getting himself ejected. You don't reach the NBA without going through your fare share of heated and tightly contested games. And knowing that your team is depending on you against a power house team like Ginebra, to let a bruiser like Kevin Ferrer get under your skin really shows how immature Glen Rice Jr. is. Either that, or the defense in the NBA is, to borrow from the WWE, sawft (soft for the unfamiliar).

And Kevin Ferrer didn't even seem physical enough. I don't know if Glen Rice Jr. has been defended by Calvin Abueva or Beau Belga. Those two players have created reputations for themselves as being physical defenders. I don't know if Kevin Ferrer used words to get to Glen Rice. Maybe he called him the N word. I don't know. But whatever Ferrer did, it made Glen Rice so mad that he shoved Ferrer and threw the basketball at him while he was down on the floor in front of the officials and the whole Araneta Coliseum crowd.

I don't know if Coach Tim Cone and the rest of the Ginebra coaching staff expected something like this to happen. I know that they already saw the beginnings of this "love story" in Game 3 of their series. And an excellent tactician, will use whatever weaknesses he sees in the opposing team and exploit these. Dirty tactics, maybe, but effective, since the moment Rice threw that ball at his opponent, he set himself up for an ejection. And the Ginebra fans knew that the moment he walked off the court, the game was theirs despite whatever double-digit lead TNT had built up. They were already chanting "Uwian na" (time to go home) in the 1st Quarter despite TNT having a huge lead. They knew that their Gin Kings could easily catch up and beat the Talk and Texters now that their main offensive gun was out.

Now, many will say that Glen Rice Jr. was stupid. But what if he was actually very smart. What if he was offered a lucrative sum to throw the game away. The opposing team saw how effective he was against them in the first three games. Maybe they decided to play the game off the court, and the series was already decided even before game 4 started. All of this is pure speculation. But it makes for a great movie script, like Blue Chips which starred Shaq and Penny Hardaway with Nick Nolte.

Jason Castro tried to fight back for his team. You can't help but admire a player who makes his free throws despite boos and distractions from a thousand strong Ginebra fan base. It reminds you of the guts showed by Alaska players like Johnny Abarrientos and Jojo Lastimosa against Ginebra back in the 90s. Ironically, Coach Tim Cone was coaching against Ginebra back then. And somehow, one would probably feel prouder for a roster of 12-players who fight back and win against a Ginebra team and Ginebra crowd just like Leonidas made three hundred men the stuff of legends.

Except, the difference between TNT and Alaska is that Alaska would win their battles against Ginebra. TNT will simply have to try again next year, hopefully, with a more level headed import. And with stars like Kelly Williams, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Mo Tautua, and Anthony Semerad, they might just get back to TNT's winning ways. But Coach Nash Racela should really get a center with a post-up game since Kelly is more suited for the power forward spot. Easier said than done. Miss the days when they had someone like Asi Taulava at that spot. Maybe they can lure Enrico Villanueva out of retirement or look for some up-and-coming center.

Thank you to both teams for an exciting semi-finals series. Too bad it had to be marred with an ejection. And TNT fans will always wonder, what if Glen Rice Jr. was in that game. Would TNT have won and forced a fifth game?

TNT beats Ginebra and Ties the Semifinals Series at 1-1

Just when I thought that Ginebra would sweep the semi-finals series of the PBA Governor's Cup and walk all the way to the finals, TNT pulls off a win to make this match-up exciting. Ginebra's 30-plus point blowout of game 1 is now an afterthought.

Coach Nash Racela has made great adjustments to TNT's game. One notable change is the aggressive double team on Greg Slaughter every time he posts up, forcing him to pass out instead of taking the shot. Another adjustment is the way Coach Racela used bigger guards like Pogoy and Reyes to preserve Jason Castro and also to try and take advantage of LA Tenorio at the post. These bigger guards also helped defend well against Ginebra's perimeter shooters.

I was also surprised at how the TNT changes made Joe Devance invisible in this game. He usually contributes well every time Ginebra wins. Perhaps using Tautua more and in combination with Kelly Williams instead of as his substitute has allowed TNT to match well with Ginebra's big line up. Semerad has also been a huge help on defense against Ginebra's import.

Coach Racela dug deep, using the entire TNT roster if I'm not mistaken. He even played an all-Filipino line up during the entire 3rd Quarter because their import was in foul trouble. And the local crew delivered, regaining their double digit-lead which they lost at the end of the 1st half. He was so confident, he used the rarely used guards to finish off the game, having built a double digit lead, despite the risk of a potential Ginebra comeback.

TNT was also fortunate that their treys were going in this time, compared to the first game. It's important for Pogoy, Rosario, and Castro's shots from beyond the arc to go in to prevent Ginebra from clogging up the lanes and gang rebounding. If Semarad's shots went in, TNT's lead would have been larger.

But make no mistake, Coach Tim Cone will make adjustments. So expect that this series might go all the way to game 5.

The Gifted 2017

Warning: possible spoilers

After shows like Heroes and Alphas have already come and gone, how are we going to be entertained by The Gifted? Legion has been the first live-action show exploring mutants in the Marvel Universe. It's a shame that the X-men title is reserved for movies when the X-men cartoons were one of my memorable childhood pastimes. But the series tries to explore some of the mutant B-listers like Polaris, Sunspot (called Eclipse in this series), Thunderbird, and Blink. I'm not sure if the two mutant kids are new characters or known characters. I thought that the boy was like Legion while his sister was like Invisible Girl.

The huge robot Sentinels have been replaced by spider like ones which reminds me of a Metal Gear enemy.

The plot is similar to any mutant being rescued by the X-men when his/her powers manifest. But with the X-men incognito in this show, it's up to Thunderbird and his team to try and help out the newbie mutants and their parents. The first season of Heroes was actually cool in that you could not really predict where the story would go. I hope they can do the same in this series instead of the typical - kids gain mastery of their powers and become part of the team - team brings down the sentinel program (temporarily - cause we all know they'll be back in X-men Days of Future Past) and mutants live in peace.

I've always thought that a TV series involving mutants was an opportunity to explore the individual back stories behind our beloved characters - something that can't really be done in movies unless you're Logan, Professor X, or Jean Grey. Maybe we'll gain more insight into the lives of the mutants showing up in this series, whether hero or villian.  I think Smallville was successful because, although the characters were familiar, they either reinvented the origins and made the stories current. And I hope this ends up better than Defenders, cause fighting the Hand for the upteenth time becomes boring.