Is PLDT DSL slowing down?

About a month ago, I posted an article praising the performance of our PLDT DSL connection. You can read more about that article here. In the speed test results that I have posted, the connection averaged about 4.9 Mbps. In the past few weeks, however, the connection can't seem to get to 4 Mbps. And, yes, I turned off Wi-Fi to the other connected devices and checked the PC was not running any updates. I have tested in a span of multiple days and the connection is now averaging 3.5 Mbps. Is PLDT DSL slowing down?

Here's the latest speed test that I performed. This is the best of 3 tests for today:

Are you guys experiencing the same?

Share your feedback using the comments below.

Cleaning out my office desk

As a follow up to a previous blog I posted, "A cluttered desk is a sign of.. bulsh_t!!!", I also made an attempt at cleaning out my office desk. This is a bit more difficult since I cannot properly route cables anywhere because the edge of the desk if flush with the cubicle's wall. But, it did not stop me from attempting.

First, I had to crimp my own network cables to ensure that it is just of the proper length with no slack.

Here's a close up of the desk after I "attempted to clean" it.

There are no items on the left and the right sides. I basically keep it empty. Except, of course, for a cup of coffee.

How about you? How do you keep your work desks clean and clutter-free?

Chowking's 100th branch in the Visayas

We've been working at the Cebu IT Park for 3 years now and we have asked ourselves, more than a couple times, "why is there no Chowking in IT Park?". That longing has been answered. Today, Chowking's 100th branch in the Visayas at the IT Park. Oh, it's not really part of the IT park but Filinvest's.

So, my friends and I decided to take our "lunch" there. Maybe, just maybe, their Chowfan tastes different. Joke :) 

They even have spin-a-prize for purchases Php250 and up. We won a ballpoint pen. Wow!

I'll post a video on my Youtube channel. You can access it via this link.

Bo's Coffee is celebrating 20 years of homegrown brew and they're selling their coffee at Php20!

I am a person who likes to have a cup of coffee daily. Scratch that, I need to have a cup of coffee to survive the day.The good news is, Bo's Coffee is celebrating 20 years of homegrown brew and they're selling their coffee at Php20!.

Quoting their Facebook page:

Celebrate 20 years of homegrown brew with us!

Visit our stores every Monday to Thursday (1pm - 3pm) from July 18 to 31, 2016 for --
P20 for Brewed Coffee
P100 for Froccino Primo

 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/boscoffee/

We got a cup of hot brewed coffee and a froccino today and, damn, they're good. Here's my cup.

Grab one now!

A cluttered desk is a sign of.. bulsh_t!!!

A cluttered desk is a sign of.. bulsh_t!!! Okay, that's not what I really had in mind. In the past couple of days, I have seen a quote shared on social media and while randomly browsing the internet. The quote is cited to have been written by Albert Einstein and it goes, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?". I, personally, am a fan of having a streamlined and clean desk. I feel I am more productive when my desk is clean; with items that I use most within easy reach. I just don't feel comfortable working on a cluttered desk.

My home computer

Just recently, my girlfriend and I recently rearranged the computer area. I just don't want my workstation clean, I want the area near my workstation to also be clean and clutter-free. Check out the video below to see us cleaning the room "in action".

I would consider myself someone who is productive. Work wise, I am able to deliver what is expected of me and more. To add to that, I deliver it before any set "deadline". Is it related to me being organized and wanting things organized? I am not sure.

An article from Forbes seem to suggest that people who like clean desks are productive while people with "cluttered" desks are more creative.

Over the course of the study, the researchers conducted several experiments that placed participants in either a clean, neatly organized room or a cluttered, messy room. When asked if they’d like to give to charity, the participants in the clean room donated more often. When they were allowed to take a snack as they left the experiment, the tidy room participants choose healthy snacks more often. So despite Einstein’s protests, there may be some benefits to a clean desk.

It appears that being in an orderly environment influences us to conform to the conventional expectations set for us. However, being in a messy room helps us depart from those conventions and unlock more divergent thinking. “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights,” Vohs explains. “Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe.”

You can read the full article by clicking on this link.

So, are you a "clean" or a "cluttered" desk person?

How to record your desktop using the FREE MSI AfterBurner software

Have you seen those tutorial videos on the internet and wondered how they recorded those? One of the many software you can use is the free MSI Afterburner software. In this article, I am going to show you how to record your desktop using the FREE MSI AfterBurner software. And, did I mention the software was free?

Download

You can download the software from the link below:

https://gaming.msi.com/features/afterburner

At the time of this writing, the latest release is version 4.2.0.

Installing the software

After your download, go ahead and install the software. I did not have to change any setting. I just continued to click on the next button until the install is finished. The installer did install 2 software: The MSI Afterburner software and the RivaTuner Statistics server.

Setting up the software
Once the software is finished installing, you'll need to change a few settings.


Open MSI Afterburner and click on the settings button

Go to the Video Capture tab and set the settings as you see below.

1. Video capture hotkey - button you press to start/stop recording
2. MJPG format
3. AVI container
4. 100% quality
5. Videos folder - is where the recorded videos are placed

I pointed audio source # 1 to my microphone and audio source # 2 as auto so it detects and records in game sounds. Setting one of the audio sources as microphone will allow you to record voice overs while still recording in-game sounds.

Video

Check out the video below for the video tutorial.

Replace your soda with lemon water

Drinking lemon water has a lot of benefits ranging from aiding digestion to improving metabolism. Lemon water also helps if you are trying to lose weight. You can read more about the benefits by clicking on this link. With all the benefits listed, I would strongly suggest that you replace your soda with lemon water immediately.

Amount

Some say squeeze half a lemon on a glass of water. Some would slice a whole lemon and put it in a liter of water. The mixture is really up to you. If you're trying to substitute soda or juice with lemon water, I would suggest that you do not put sugar. I personally don't.

Juicers

To make squeezing lemons easier, you might want to try out the cheap juicers below:

Taurus T600 Citrus Juicer (White)

HengSong Fruit Juicers White  

Mini Manual Juicer Hand Press Fruit Extractor  

The Elegant ViewSonic VX2573-sg IPS Monitor

I was looking for a monitor to replace my 23" Samsung SyncMaster and when I saw it, I immediately fell in love with the elegant ViewSonic VX2573-sg IPS Monitor. When choosing a monitor, you are usually limited to black, white, matte, or shiny. Outside the specs, there aren't really that many choices when it comes to the looks. This is one monitor that looks very good even before you turn it on.

Technology

The monitor uses a SuperClear AH-IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080. This ensures that color reproduction is more accurate with a 178-degree field of view. It has a flicker-free operation and a blue light filter to make using the monitor easier to the eyes. It has an easy-to-access favorite button to allow you to choose between the different view modes (game, movie, web, text, mono images).

Looks

The ViewSonic VX2573-sg IPS Monitor has a gold case that has a texture that looks similar to a brushed aluminum. The bezel is very thin measuring a mere 0.8 mm. I would say the monitor looks like an iMac. But, in gold. The monitor itself is very thin measuring only 13 mm.

http://ap.viewsonic.com/my/products/lcd/vx2573/

Build quality

The ViewSonic VX2573-sg IPS Monitor seems pretty well-built. The sleek stand is stable and the monitor does not rock that much when you try to shake it.

Unboxing

Actual box

You'll get the following accessories: VGA cable, stand, power brick, power cable, CD, and a user guide.

The back side of the monitor

Accessories removed from the box

Before connecting the stand

Beside my Samsung SyncMaster 2333SW

Speed up your web browser by disabling Flash

Speed up your web browser by disabling Flash. And no, I don't mean to say Barry Allen. I have personally disabled Flash on mine and I have not come into issues. I think Youtube might have shifted to HTML 5? Not sure, but I do not have an issue with playing videos on the website as well. Give it a try and you'll immediately notice the performance improvement.

Firefox

1. Click the Firefox menu icon (3 bars on the top right).
2. Click Add-ons.
3. Look for Shockwave Flash and select "never activate".

Google Chrome

1. On the Chrome address bar (the area where you type the website links you want to open), type about:plugins and press ENTER.
2. In the list, look for Adobe Flash Player. 
3. There should be a link below it that indicates "disable". Click on that.

Give it a try. You'll immediately notice most websites now load a lot faster and your web browser consume less RAM.