House MD Season 6 Episode 1 September 23, 2009
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Movies to look forward to – 2009 June 28, 2009
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: 2012, Funny People, I Love You Beth Cooper, Land of the Lost, Post Grad, Surrogates, The Boat that Rocked, The Proposal, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Ugly Truth
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Movies to look forward to this year:
Surrogates (Bruce Willis) <click here for link>
The Ugly Truth (Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler) <click here for link>
2012 (John Cusack, Amanda Peet) <click here for link>
Land of the Lost (Will Ferrell) <click here for link>
I Love You Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere, Samm Levine) <click here for link>
The Proposal (Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds) <click here for link>
Funny People (Ken Jeong, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler) <click here for link>
The Boat that Rocked (Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman) <click here for link>
Post Grad (Alexis Bledel) <click here for link>
The Time Traveler’s Wife (Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams) <click here for link>
Anexetastos Project (Schraw & Dennison Metacognitive Inventory) – a WEBDEVT Final Exam – ArgeL CruZ April 13, 2009
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We are helping psychometricians around the world to gather data. Currently, this is done manually using paper survey forms then they tally the results.
Please visit the application and take the test:
CMP – Ethical Theories (Annette Baier – The Need for More Than Justice), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Annette Baier is a teacher of philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. She authored several
significant books about morality and ethics. I think that having this background he would be able to share
a lot of interesting theories and insights about ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis
for something being ethical or not I think that a person who knows a lot about morality would be able to
share some important theories and insights about ethics. What Annette Baier is suggesting that the
government takes care of the people. Annette thinks that if the government is taking care of its people
then the need for justice to be served will be lessen. People who do criminal activities will be lessened
because there won’t be a need for them to do so. Governments must take care of the weak because
without their care those people are the ones who will be committing crime and as a result there will be
more pressure on the judicial system and it will be less effective.
CMP – Ethical Theories (John Rawls A – Theory of Justice), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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John Rawls is a professor of philosophy at Harvard University. He authored several significant books about the Law and Justice. I
think that having this background he would be able to share a lot of interesting theories and insights about
ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis for something being ethical or not I think that a
person who knows a lot about morality would be able to share some important theories and insights about
ethics. In Rawls’s theory there are two principles of justice; one is about equal basic liberties and the
other is about the arrangement of social and economic inequalities. I think that tackling these two issues
about justice is a good thing. There are a lot of injustices today concerning the people’s lack of basic
liberties and inequalities in the justice system. Basically what John Rawls is proposing is to give everyone
equal access to the basic judicial services of the government and treat everyone as equals. I think that by
doing this people have more rights because they are granted basic services by the government. A lot of
nations deprive the little people of justice which results in lots of unjust imprisonments. Corruption will
also be lessened since the criminal justice system is treating the people as equals. With a more efficient
justice system determining what is ethical and what is not will be a little bit easier……
CMP – Ethical Theories (Ronald Dworkin– Taking Rights Seriously), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Ronald Dowrkin is a University professor at Jurisprudence, Oxford University, and professor of Law at New York University. I
think that having this background he would be able to share a lot of interesting theories and insights about
ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis for something being ethical or not I think that a
person who knows a lot about morality would be able to share some important theories and insights about
ethics. Ronald Dworkin argued that it is wrong for people to interfere with the rights of other people. I
agree with Ronald Dworkin on this, I think that it is really immoral for a person to interfere with another
person’s rights. We can see its effects on nations that have taken the rights of its people. The result is
chaos, insurrection, rebellion, and unrest. Governments must respect the rights of the people in order for
them to have a stable and strong nation. Ronald Dwokin also condemned governments treating people
who have committed civil disobedience harshly. If governments treat their people with respect and
integrity it would be much easier to govern the nation. Silencing free speech is never the answer to
solving political unrest. I think that this is true because by silencing the people their anger will only build
up more and more and there will come a time when all this anger will be put on display and it would be
disastrous for the nation…..
CMP – Ethical Theories (Joel Feinberg– The Nature and Value of Rights), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Joel Feinberg is a professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona. He authored several significant books concerning
philosophy and human behavior. I think that having this background he would be able to share a lot of
interesting theories and insights about ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis for
something being ethical or not I think that a person who knows a lot about morality would be able to share
some important theories and insights about ethics. In this essay Joel Feinberg wants to demonstrate or
show how important rights are in connection with morality. Without rights people will be deprived of
freedom and voice out their concerns. If they are unable to do this they will be deprived of justice and
without all these freedoms people will become miserable. I also found Joel Feinberg’s example really
interesting. He described a town called Nowheresville and in this town people have no rights. He
described Nowheresville as having pretty and virtuous people and a friendly environment. The only thing
missing in this town is rights. He used this example to criticize Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative…
CMP – Ethical Theories (Aristotle – Happiness and Virtue), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Aristotle believed virtues led to happiness. The happiness that Aristotle spoke of was not
necessarily the same that we would think of today. Today our view of happiness tends to be hedonic. We
want to feel good immediately and tend not to think too far ahead. So we see a night out or a pleasant
activity as a route to happiness. The ancient Greeks had a very different perspective on happiness.
Aristotle spoke about achieving eudaimonia, which is roughly translated into happiness. Eudaimonia is
not an emotional state; it is more about being all that you can, fulfilling your potential. The idea is that by
living in a way that reaches your full potential you bloom or flourish and so display the best version of you
that you can be. Aristotle thought that the practice of virtues would equate to happiness, in the sense of
being all you could be. By virtues, Aristotle meant the act of achieving balance and moderation. For
example, courage would be the balance and moderation between excessive amounts, rashness and
insufficient amounts, cowardice. Generosity would be the mid-ground between being a wasteful
spendthrift and being a miser.He strongly disagreed with Socrates who knowledge would automatically
lead to the right action. Aristotle argued that the greatest misdeed was to know the right course, but fail to
do it……
CMP – Ethical Theories (Immanuel Kant – The Categorical Imerative), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Immanuel Kant is a German who was one of the most important Philosophers of all time. He contributed to all areas of
Philosophy and wrote many significant books in the areas of Philosophy and reasoning. I think that with
Immanuel Kant’s background he would be able to share a lot of interesting theories and insights about
ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis for something being ethical or not I think that a
person who knows a lot about morality would be able to share some important theories and insights about
ethics. The main topic in his essay was about The Categorical Imperative. The Categorical Imperative
according to Immanuel Kant is a supreme rule where our moral duties can be derived. Immanuel Kant
expressed great disapproval with Utilitarianism and this is why he devised the Categorical Imperative
which according to him will correct the shortcomings of Utilitarianism. Categorical Imperative allows
people to act based on what is right for ourselves and for others. Kant argues that the highest form of
good is good will. To have good will is to perform one’s duty. To do one’s duty is to perform actions which
are morally required and to avoid those actions which are morally forbidden. Kant said that we should
perform our duty because it is our duty and for no other reason. To perform an action out of desire for any
self indulgent consequences is not a morally good action. Duty is good in itself. Kant believed that we
should act out of duty and not emotion. A human action isn’t morally good because we feel it’s good, or
because it is in our own self interest. Even if duty demanded the same action, but it was done for a motive
such as compassion, the act would be a good act, but the person would not be moral for choosing it….
CMP – Ethical Theories (James Rachels – The Debate over Utilitarianism), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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In this part of the chapter the author shared the essay of James Rachels. James Rachels is a University
Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He authored three significant books about
morality. I think that with James Rachel’s background he would be able to share a lot of interesting
theories and insights about ethics. Since most of the time morality is used as a basis for something being
ethical or not I think that a person who knows a lot about morality would be able to share some important
theories and insights about ethics. James Rachels objected to the ideas of utilitarianism based on three
propositions. The first proposition is about judging whether an action is right or wrong based their
consequences. Basically it is like choosing the lesser evil. James Rachels argued that this is not entirely
correct because commons sense is used in choosing right and wrong with Utilitarianism and common
sense cannot fully be trusted. It cannot be trusted because what is right in common sense is based on
merit and not what is entirely right. The second proposition is about happiness. The right action is the one
that creates more happiness then misery. James Rachels argues that this is wrong because the right
thing to do is not the one that causes happiness but the one that causes less suffering. The third
proposition is about consequences. According to utilitarianism the right action is the one that has less
negative consequences. James Rachels argues that this proposition is flawed because it is not
compatible with justice. An action can have less negative consequence to the doer but it can cause
damage to other people…..
CMP – Ethical Theories (John Stuart Mill – Utilitarianism), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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In this part of the chapter the author shared the essay of John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill is an influential
British Philosopher. He wrote several books about ethics, morality and philosophy. In his essay the main
topic was utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by
its contribution to overall utility that is, its contribution to happiness or pleasure as summed among all
persons. Basically it is the action with the greatest good for the majority. This is the ethical theory that I
agree with. I think that the right thing to do is the one that would benefit the majority. Utilitarianism is also
about actions which would bring happiness to the majority. Another interesting topic discussed in this
essay is of what sort of proof the Principal of Utility us susceptible. Mill argues that the only proof that
something is desirable is that people actually desire it. It is a fact that happiness is a good, because all
people desire their own happiness. Thus, it is clear that happiness is at least one end, and one criterion,
of morality. However, in order to show that happiness is the sole criterion for morality, it is necessary to
show that people never desire anything but happiness. Mill says that people do desire things like virtue,
which in common language is distinguished from happiness……
CMP – Ethical Theories (Mary Midgley – Trying Out One’s New Sword), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Midgley’s definition of moral isolationism is the following, in consists in simply denying that we
can ever understand any culture except our own well enough to make judgments about it. One of the
reasons that she argues that this is an untenable position is that if we cannot sufficiently understand
another culture to criticize them, we would not be able to praise them either. If tomorrow, China turned
from a Communist country to a Democratic one, we would want to praise them for making the right
choice. However, if one holds that we cannot criticize cultures that hold to different values because we
don’t have sufficient understanding of them, it would then be inconsistent to be able to praise other
cultures as well. Midgley’s example of an aspect of a different society that we would praise is some of the
virtues held by Samurais. Her point is however the same. She takes the idea that we cannot praise other
cultures for a set of values as absurd. Hence, moral isolationism results in an absurd consequence that
should cause it to be rejected. Her second point against moral isolationism is that if we are not able to
make moral judgments about other societies, we are not able to make them about our own either. She
explains how moral judgment is void if moral isolationism is true. Our opinions of other societies being
good or bad are necessary in order to state an opinion concerning our own. These opposing ideas form a
range of comparison which allows us to say whether we should or should not be like them. One example
is how the Samurais used to test their battle swords on random commoners in order to insure that the
sword was correctly sharpened. If we didn’t come to the conclusion that this practice was unjust, then
how could we come to the conclusion that we should perform this practice in our society? The only way to
learn from other society’s mistakes or successes is to be able to form moral judgments about them. In this
sense, Midgley says how moral judgment is not something we can discard. It is necessary if we are to
learn from other’s mistakes. If moral isolationism was true, we would not be able to learn from other
culture’s mistakes or successes. Since we can learn from other country’s mistakes, moral isolationism is
false. The first of Midgley’s assumptions is that moral judgment is necessary. When we judge something
as good, we are saying that there is reason to pursue it. It is the same way with judging something as
bad; we are stating that there is reason to avoid it. Her second assumption is needed for her first point
against moral isolationism to hold. That being that we can understand a culture enough to praise them.
For her second point against moral isolationism to hold, she must assume that moral reasoning in general
is justified. She assumes that it is plausible to say that certain acts are right or wrong. Her last assumption
can be illuminated by asking the question, “What does it mean to be ‘of’ a certain society?…..
CMP – Ethical Theories (Friedrich Nietzsche – Master and Slave Morality), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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With the help of Wikipedia, I found out that master-slave morality is the central theme of Friedrich
Nietzsche’s works, in particular the first essay of On the Genealogy of Morality. Nietzsche argued that
there were two fundamental types of morality: ‘Master morality’ and ‘slave morality’. Master morality
weighs actions on a scale of good or bad consequences unlike slave morality which weighs actions on a
scale of good or evil intentions. What Nietzsche meant by ‘morality’ deviates from common understanding
of this term. For Nietzsche, a particular morality is inseparable from the formation of a particular culture.
This means that its language, codes and practices, narratives, and institutions are informed by the
struggle between these two types of moral valuation. For Nietzsche, master-slave morality provides the
basis of all exegesis of Western thought. Moving on to Nietzsche’s concept of master morality, it is the
morality of the strong-willed. What is good is what is helpful; what is bad is what is harmful. Morality as
such is sentiment. In the prehistoric state, the value or non-value of an action was derived from its
consequences but ultimately, there are no moral phenomena at all, only moral interpretations of
phenomena. For these strong-willed men, the ‘good’ is the noble, strong and powerful, while the ‘bad’ is
the weak, cowardly, timid and petty. The essence of master morality is nobility. Morality is designed to
protect that which the strong-willed man values, and for slave and master, Fear is the mother of morality.
Other qualities that are often valued in master moralities are open-mindedness, courage, truthfulness,
trust and an accurate sense of self-worth. Master morality begins in the ‘noble man’ with a spontaneous
idea of the good, and then the idea of bad develops as what is not good. The noble type of man
experiences itself as determining values; it does not need approval; it judges, what is harmful to me is
harmful in itself; it knows itself to be that which first accords honor to things; it is value-creating. In this
sense, the master morality is the full recognition that oneself is the measure of all things. Insomuch as
something is helpful to the strong-willed man it is like what he values in himself; therefore, the strongwilled
man values such things as ‘good’. Masters are creators of morality; slaves respond to mastermorality
with their slave-morality…..
CMP – Ethical Theories (John Arthur – Religion, Morality, and Conscience), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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People are becoming more and more devoid of morals. Just about all of us have a set of rules
that we live by, a personal list of do’s and don’ts that is based on our own belief system. I have to agree
with that statement because I myself have my do’s and don’ts regardless of what my family or my religion
believes in. For me it is all about believing on what you believe is right, no influence of religion, family,
and etc. These sets of rules are what make us unique and set us apart from the animals. However, now,
more than ever, our society represents one based on a foundation of immorality and principles that are
meaningless. As we look outside our windows, vast amounts of crime, war, and lies is all that can be
seen. I’ll give a concrete example about that. Our generation is now more into pre-marital sex. Every
person I talk to will say that is normal nowadays. I don’t know what triggered this but what know is many
people are realizing that morals are hindrances to their lives. For example, it is stipulated in the bible that
you must not have sex before marriage. Today, many people don’t believe that already. If you will
internalize it, you will find out that it is somehow true. Pre-marital sex is cool indeed. As per movies, it is
now common to have this kind of acts present. There seems to be an abundance of publicists, lobbyists,
marketers, and lawyers who all they want is money, and they do whatever it takes to get it, without any
disregard for anyone or anything that gets in their way. This compromise of morals may soon lead the
world into chaos and disorder. How can one define morality? What is right and wrong? What is good and
evil? It is mankind’s most crucial element. Morality is the basis in which man judges himself…….
CMP – Ethical Theories (James Rachels – Egoism and Moral Skepticism), Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White April 12, 2009
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Psycholocgical Egosim is also defined as a reflex that every person has to orient themselves
toward their own welfare. Through this, it follows that every one of his (or her) voluntary actions is some
good to himself. If someone gives away the last piece of bread to someone else, it is because they want
to look like a better person, due to the fact that they would give away the last piece of bread. Human
nature is completely and exclusively egoistic. People are entirely selfish and devoid of any genuine
feelings of sympathy, benevolence, or sociability. They are always thinking of themselves in everything
they do. Each individual is preoccupied exclusively with the gratification of personal desires (felicity or
happiness).Ones success in maintaining a continuous flow of gratification is the means of one’s
happiness. Our ordinary thinking about morality is full of assumptions that we almost never question. We
assume, for example, that we have an obligation to consider the welfare of other people when we decide
what actions to perform or what rules to obey; we think that we must refrain from acting in ways harmful to
others, and that we must respect their rights and interests as well as our own. We also assume that
people are in fact capable of being motivated by such considerations, that is, that people are not wholly
selfish and that they do sometimes act in the interests of others…..
AS16, EX6, AS17, AS18, AS19 – ArgeL CruZ April 9, 2009
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AS16 – FaceBook
EX6 – Credit Card Validator
AS17 – amCharts
AS18 – Aut0-complete revisited (aka City Lookup) & Style Switcher pending
AS19 – fb-style pending
POPURLS – ArgeL CruZ March 22, 2009
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Sir here
Simple Pie Exercise – ArgeL CruZ March 17, 2009
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Sir here
My 3 Life Changing Realization March 17, 2009
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Argel T. Cruz 26 January 2009
ORDEV-C
The first significant life changing realization I experienced in my college life is when I was admitted at the college. It really changed my life because I discovered myself that life in college is really diverse when opposed to my high school and grade school life. First of all, the culture in Benilde is different in other colleges. I can say that because when I converse with my former high school friends, they say to me that it is very different there at your college. The second thing I discovered is that when you are in college, you can almost do whatever you want that you can’t formerly do in high school. It includes: going home late, going anywhere you want within your reach and many more! But one thing I learned is that you must be responsible for all of your actions. For example, if you decide to smoke or drink and use drugs, you must be then responsible and liable for those actions. In my personal case, I first drank alcoholic beverages when I was in my freshman year in college (I don’t smoke and use drugs). In that matter, I learned that I must be a responsible drinker so that I can still go home and look normal. Moreover, in college, you can meet a many vast new friends. As for my feedback to that, it is not that hard to choose new friends. But as a precaution, you must join a group with a good image; I mean not to join the “petiks group” or the group which is in to not so good actions or attitudes. I also learned on how to blend into many types of people in Benilde. Most of the community there are rich people. But I have learned that even though they are rich, some are down to earth and really approachable, but of course there is always an exception. There are some who is really “presko” and boastful of their assets. Based on my experience you need to get along with everybody so that you can gain more friends, even though not your best buddies but at least you have a good friendship with them because in some point in time, they could be handy. So as for my conclusion for the first life changing realization I experienced in my college life, oneself must be ready for a change, especially if it isn’t comfortable or easy to change something. The ability to adopt or to adjust to the transition from high school life to college is key to one’s success in college.
The second significant life changing realization I experienced in my college life is when I attended in my “Pagtuklas” and “Paghilom” recollection. In that event, I was able to realize my mistakes in both my college and family life. Recollection indeed is necessary to have in everyone’s lives. Based on my experience, it is the time to reflect to your life. I was able to realize my standing or vision towards life. It also helped me to converse with my block mates and tell them what I feel for them. In other words, it is like a “bull-session”. You get to know the perceptions of others towards you. Everyone was able to confess their feelings to each other. After those recollections, I feel relieved and my feeling was lighter. I was also able to develop a better relationship with my friends and block mates. In addition, this experience was very important to me because it helped build my personality and character. I was also able to change the bad attitudes that were attributed to me (I am not forced but decided to change for the betterment of me). So as for my conclusion to this life changing realization, this must be significant but I should say that this isn’t the greatest change in my life.
Moving on, the last the significant life changing realization I experienced in my college life is when I discovered how important is to be successful during my stay in college. For me, college is the stepping to the transition from college life to the real life. It thought me what life after college is. The college has done a pretty good job molding us into young professionals and prepare is in the next industry wherein we will move on. It gave us an overview on where we stand in the industry. One concept I learned is the “monggo”. It was thought by my professor in ORDEV-C. We, college students are the monggo and when it is thrown out in the soil, the question is “will we grow or die?” With that concept, we must be prepared so that when we are thrown out in the real life, we could grow progressively. So as for my conclusion to the third life changing realization in college life, it is very imperative to take seriously the life in college.
AS11, AS10 – ArgeL CruZ March 11, 2009
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WEBDEVT Requirements – ArgeL CruZ March 5, 2009
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Sir eto ung kulang sa O0B grades pero meron ako:
AS7 – divided into three files for easy understanding:
step1 creating a session
step2 viewing the session ID and or session value
step3 destroying the session
My Social Networking Site (Release Candidate2) February 22, 2009
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My Social Networking Site (Release Candidate2)
My Social Networking Site February 21, 2009
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My Social Networking Site (Release Candidate 1)
My Social Networking Site (BETA2)
Drupal on my Playground! February 19, 2009
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My Drupal on my playground.
My VERTSOL Reader December 15, 2008
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My VERTSOL iPaper version embedded on my self-hosted WordPress. You can access it here.
Nokia unveils Nokia N97 at Nokia World 2008! December 2, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Argel Cruz, Nokia, Nokia N97, Nokia World 2008
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full article here
“Introducing the Nokia N97, the next generation high-end mobile phone from Nokia. Described by Nokia folks as a “handheld computer” this device is a pretty comfortable high-end phone. It has a tilting (resistive) touch-screen display, and is the first N-series phone with a QWERTY keyboard. It has 32 gigabytes of memory, expandable to 42 GB via 16 GB memory card. It has a digital compass, a 1500 milliamp battery, and DVD quality video capture. It’s extremely comfortable to hold, easy to use, and represents a solid solid evolution of the Nokia smarthphone line.”
ABS-CBN trys to increase viewership by using a sexy star November 29, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Argel Cruz, Banana Split, Cristine Reyes, Eva Fonda
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“Eva Fonda”, starring Cristine Reyes, as all guys and even girls know is a sexy model and actor, is scheduled to air on December 1. As I project, these can boost the viewership of ABS-CBN. Reyes also appears in the Saturday late night sexy and comedy show “Banana Split”.
Cristine Reyes will play the lead role in the TV remake of the 1976 movie, Mrs. Eva Fonda, 16.
Facebook, Twitter talks collapse – No Deal Yet November 25, 2008
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taken from inquirer.net
WASHINGTON — Facebook, the fast-growing social network, offered to purchase micro-blogging service Twitter for $500 million in stock but the talks broke down over price, AllThingsD.com reported Monday.
“Several weeks of serious talks” about a purchase of Twitter by privately held Facebook began in mid-October but broke down about three weeks ago, said the website which covers technology, media and the Internet.
AllThingsD quoted “sources on both sides” as saying the $500 million bid was an all-stock offer based on the $15-billion valuation of Facebook from Microsoft’s purchase of a 1.6-percent stake in the company for $240 million in October 2007.
“The Twitter side felt that figure was inflated and the shares should be valued at the lower figures that have also been reported for Facebook’s true valuation, more in the five billion dollar range,” it said.
“That would have given the deal a $150 million price tag, which was seen as too low, especially since it was in Facebook stock and not cash,” AllThingsD added.
It said the San Francisco-based Twitter wanted cash or Facebook stock at an even lower valuation than five billion dollars.
Twitter’s investors and executives were also reluctant to sell, AllThingsD said, because they still hope to build a revenue model for the service, which is wildly popular but has yet to develop an income stream.
“Facebook has its own revenue-generating challenges,” AllThingsD quoted one person close to the company as saying. “As much as Twitter would give them a lift in the status area, it was still a worry.”
Twitter claims six million users of its service, which allows users to send short messages known as “tweets” of 140 characters or less.
Twitter wants cash instead of stocks (haha!!). In my opinion Facebook will never get to buy Twitter.
Getting Real Chapter 16 – Conclusion November 25, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: Argel Cruz, IS-EBIZ, O0B
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This is the last chapter of the book, entitled “Conclusion”. It started with the topic about execution. In web development, it is all about proper execution. There vast number of programmers out there. In order to shine above others, you must concentrate on your execution. Execute properly and for sure, you will find success. Next, they talked about people. They said that they are worth reemphasizing because it is the most key factor in building an application. As much as possible, keep the people always involved and attached to your team.
Getting Real Chapter 15 – Post-launch November 25, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: Argel Cruz, IS-EBIZ, O0B
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This chapter is entitled post-launch. First discussed in this chapter is the event you must do after 30 days after launching. They said that a developer must release a major update so that users will not get bored. It must include new features, bug fixes, minor and major tweaks. It also shows that the developer is listening to the users. Next they said that is imperative to have a blog that is always updated. Things to include in the blog are: FAQ, How-tos, Tips and tricks, new features, updates, and fixes, and lastly buzz and press releases. They added that having a blog is to show that an application is alive. Next they it is ok to have a private beta testing, but not a public one. He even said that it sucks. For my own opinion, this is not so true because public betas are very important for me. If developers run a public beta testing, you could test your program faster because the more users, the better. Stress testing can be also applicable. Next, they said that a developer must prioritize bugs. Critical bugs must be addressed first of course. Remember that bugs are only annoyances, not critical errors. Next, they said that it is also recommended to subscribe to competitors’ feeds. It is always good to know what is happening on your competitors. I have to agree with that because anyone in the business industry must always be aware of what’s happening with their competitors. Moving on, they also gave importance that new isn’t always good or cool. Just be contented on what your program can do. Lastly, they concluded that developers must go with the flow. I personally don’t agree on that statement. Just like Zara, they didn’t go with the flow. They swim in the opposite direction, and the results are positive.
Getting Real Chapter 14 – Support November 25, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: Argel Cruz, IS-EBIZ, O0B
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Chapter 14 starts by emphasizing the synergy of team members when developing a project. They strongly implied not to outsource the support side to call centers. The backend guys should be able to talk to the customers or the users themselves. There must be no walls existing between support and development. In my own personal viewpoint, this is very true. However, with BPOs emerging nowadays, it defeats the purpose of this chapter. Consumers want to talk with the right person in the company. Not those call center agents with insufficient knowledge about the app or the program. Providing better support for clients is key. Next, they talked about the importance of inclusion of FAQs and inline help. In that way, your application doesn’t need any more manuals or trainings just in order to be used or implemented. I agree with this, but in my own opinion, people are very timid to read FAQs. They want instant answers, so a good remedy for that is having a forum, in which they can ask a question to a fellow user. Next they highlighted the importance of fast response to customer’s queries. If you respond quickly, they will be more interested in using your app, not only in the present, but also in the future. Lastly, they concluded the chapter by saying that it is also necessary to include bad news when communication to the public. I agree with this and I think that not that many companies do this in real life because they are always hiding their dark side.
Getting Real Chapter 13 – Promotion November 25, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: Argel Cruz, IS-EBIZ, O0B
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The first part of the chapter talks about the proper or effective way of launching an application. It must be a Hollywood type of launching. The proper steps should be a teaser first, preview, and the launching itself. I have to agree with this style because I myself find it very effective. In that way potential customers will be enticed and possible they will try and buy your application. At the teaser part, a developer must blog about the development of the application. In addition they can also collect e-mails of interested individuals. Next is preview, it should be done a few weeks prior to launching date. Screenshot of features should be included as well as preview of some features. Last is the launch period. It in this period, the marketing site should be completely launched.
Here are the things that should be included in the marketing site:
Overview: Explain your app and its benefits.
Tour: Guide people through various features.
Screen captures and videos: Show people what the app actually looks like and how to use it.
Manifesto: Explain the philosophy and ideas behind it.
Case Studies: Provide real life examples that show what’s possible.
Buzz: Testimonial quotes from customers, reviews, press, etc.
Forum: Offer a place for members of the community to help one another.
Pricing & Sign-up: Get people into your app as quickly as possible.
Weblog: Blogs keep your site fresh with news, tips, etc.
Next, they gave the importance of blogging. They said that it is more effective than advertising. Moreover, blogging is inexpensive, compared to advertising. Next, they said that to include tutorials and the like. Just make your site as popular as possible. Remember, markets are conversations. They gave importance to conversations because it will be essential to create a buzz about your website. Developers must also implement a forum so that users can give feedbacks, and you must entertain not only positive feedbacks but also negative ones. Next, they told that you must offer premium services, but the most important thing to do is to explain why they should upgrade and pay. To conclude the chapter, they said that to give a name that is very easy to remember. Based on my experience, I find it very effective. For example, if you remember the app you visited last night, you can just Google it and viola!, that’s it.
Pacobama November 19, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Barack Obama, Manny Pacquiao
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Darn.. Hanep sa creativity talaga ng mga Pinoy..
My first app in Heroku November 19, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Argel Cruz, Heroku
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Check it here!!
Terrence san ka na? November 18, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Junabel Manuel, Terrence Bernardo
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San ka na Terrence? Hirap na hirap na parnter mow!
Level Up! unveils three new games October 26, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Emil Chronicle, Hello Kitty, Level Up, Online, Rohan
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taken from hackenslash, credits to Alexander Villafania of INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The online game business in the Philippines is heating up with online game publisher Level Up! leading the pack with a triple-treat launch of games.
During the recently held Level Up Live! gaming convention, the company announced that it will be carrying the games Hello Kitty Online, Emil Chronicle Online, and Rohan Online.
However, no further details have been provided as to the dates of the start of the beta testing and commercial launch of the games.
Level Up! Multimedia Head Joey Alarilla told INQUIRER.net they will be releasing new information about the games for the local market very soon.
Level Up! had previously launched two other games this year, Crazy Kart and Grand Chase, both of which are targeted at much younger players.
Hello Kitty Online, developed by Sanrio Digital, can also be considered as a casual game due to the use of the popular Japanese toy line of the same name. As such, it mostly focuses on resource collection and social interaction rather than battles.
Nevertheless, Hello Kitty Online is categorized as a massively-multiplayer online game.
Meanwhile, Emil Chronicle Online is another MMORPG and is developed by Headlock. It also has resource collection elements but also focuses on battles. There are a total of 12 classes from three races that can be chosen as playable characters in the game.
Rohan Online, made by YNK Korea, is a heavy hack-and-slash MMORPG. It allows open PvP (player versus player) and lower guilds can attack ruling guilds for the right to control towns.
CEL Manila 2008 October 25, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: 2008, CEL, Manila, SMX
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hmm.. here are some pics of the CEL Manila 2008 at SMX.. I find it quite boring though..
Updated price list of Nokia
Consolidated Links of Exercises for IS-EBIZ/Dave Q. October 18, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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Get-Ajax activity/homework October 16, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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Sir Dave you can visit the site here.
Getting Real Chapter 12 – Pricing and Signup October 16, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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The chapter starts with the author saying that a programmer or a team of progammers who builds a project must give something that is free. By that way, potential markets can be attracted. Next, the author discussed that to make registration and cancellation of transactions a breeze. It must be a no-brainer like process so that users can easily navigate the site. He also said that to give the customers what they want. Like you must post a demo video for free, anytime they want. With this actions, they can attract potential and eventually if they will get it , they will be loyal. In addition, it also builds trust. Next, they should avoiding long-term contracts so that potential customers will not be discouraged. The last thing discussed is the delivery of negative or bad news. It should be delivered as painless as possible. With that, it will give the users less mad.
My Ajax – jQuery demo October 14, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Argel Cruz, IS-EBIZ, O0B
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Sir Dave you can see it here.
Getting Real Chapter 11 – Words October 14, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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Don’t write a functional specifications document – it is the statement in the first part of the chapter. It means that you must not give much attention on it because it has nothing to do with the finished product according to the author. The author also said it doesn’t reflect reality. To sum up the first part, it only says to give least importance to the functional specifications document. Next topic is to eliminate unnecessary paper work. This will only put more stress on you and in return you will have nothing because it is unnecessary or irrelevant. On the last part of the chapter, personalization comes in. You must think your product as a person.
Light View on my Playground! October 9, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: IS-EBIZ, LightView, O0B
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Sir David here is the link.
Here is my gallery.
Getting Real Chapter 10 – Code October 9, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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The first part of the chapter talks about code simplicity. Hard coded program will only make it twice complex. They also referenced again that to do less can me your program less complicated and easier to manage.
- Less software is easier to manage.
- Less software reduces your codebase and that means
- Less maintenance busywork (and a happier staff).
- Less software lowers your cost of change so you can adapt quickly. You can change your mind without having to change boatloads of code.
- Less software results in fewer bugs.
- Less software means less support.
Moreover, they discussed about programmers. They told that happy programmers are very productive. Happy programmers write simple and readable codes. Next, they let know of us that code speaks. You have to listen to your codes, in that way it will offer suggestions for the betterment of the program. On the last topic, they showed the importance of communication between the programmers and the end-users. They must enable RSS feeds and APIs so that other third-party developers can develop a plug-in for example.
Talk of the Town October 8, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: Add new tag, IT-DOCU, Riela Antonio, Shannon Angto
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Here are some pictures on what transpired earlier..
Akala ko sa pelikula lang ako makakapanuod or makakakita ng ganito.. hahaha.. But this event proved me something.. Ang nagpapanalo ay si Mr. Guison, perfect timing!
Kudos to Mr. Shannon on his courtship kay Ms. Antonio.. Definitely fear is not a factor for him!
Shopping Cart on my Playground!! October 7, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B, Shopping Cart
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Here is the link Sir David
Getting Real Chapter 9 – Interface Design October 7, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Getting Real.Tags: IS-EBIZ, O0B
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The chapter nine starts with the author implying that the user interface must be done first before the programming part. He said that designing first keeps the programmer and the program flexible.
Another reason to design first is that the interface is your product. What people see is what you’re selling. If you just slap an interface on at the end, the gaps will show.
Next, he said that you should start with the core components of the program and to mind the details later. If the programmer will follow the epicenter design, it will result into a more friendly, focused, and usable screens for the customers.
Three State Solution
Design for regular, blank, and error states
For each screen, you need to consider three possible states:
- Regular
The screen people see when everything’s working fine and your app is flush with data.- Blank
The screen people see when using the app for the first time, before data is entered.- Error
The screen people see when something goes wrong.
Moreover, the blank state is discussed, wherein it is the screen people see when using the app for the first time, before data is entered. They pointed out that the programmer must put focus on the blank state because it is the application’s first impression, remember, first impressions last. If the programmer or designer screws up, the application will create a false impression because first impressions are crucial.
On the next part, the author stated that you must do defensive designing, just as like as defensive driving. Defensive designing includes constantly searching for possible trouble spots that can cause the visitors’ confusion and frustration. On the other hand, the author implied that context is far more than important than consistently. It means that the design has less importance otherwise if the design makes more sense.
Nokia 5800XpressMusic Unveiled! October 4, 2008
Posted by ArgeL CruZ in Uncategorized.Tags: 5800, Nokia, XpressMusic
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- Form: Classic with full touch user interface
- Dimensions: 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm
- Weight: 109 g
- Volume: 83 cc
- Touch user interface optimised for one-hand use with tactile feedback
Display and 3D
- Main display
– Size: 3.2″
– Resolution: 640 x 360 pixels (nHD)
– Up to 16 million colours
– aspect ratio 16:9
– automatic orientation sensor (Accelerometer) for display rotation - 3D image engine
Keys and input method
- Stylus, plectrum and finger touch support for text input and user interface control (alphanumeric keypad, full and mini qwerty keyboard, handwriting recognition, full screen handwriting for Chinese language)
- Dedicated Media Bar touch key for access to music, gallery, share on-line, Video Centre and web browser
- Voice commands
- Physical keys for application launch key (menu key), send & end, power, camera, lock, volume up & down
Colors and covers
- Available in-box colours:
– Red
– Blue
– Black
Available colours may vary per region.
Connectors
- Micro-USB connector, USB 2.0 High Speed
- 3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
- MicroSD card slot, small DC jack, Micro USB cable interface to PC (CA-101), TV out interface (CA-75U)
Power
- BL-5J 1320 mAh Li-Ion battery
- Talk time (maximum):
– GSM 8.8 h
– WCDMA 5 h - Standby time (maximum):
– GSM 406.2 h
– WCDMA 400 h - Browsing time with packet data (maximum): 3.4 h
- Video playback time (maximum): 5.2 h, Video playback time (maximum, nHD/Mpeg4) 3.4 h, VGA video playback using TV-Out with Stereo BT Headset 3.8 h
- Video recording time (maximum): 3.6 h
- Video call time (maximum): 3 h
- Music playback time (maximum): Up to 35 h
- Gaming time (maximum): 5.6 h
Memory
- MicroSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 16 GB
- 81 MB internal memory
- 8GB microSD memory card in-box, expandable up to 16GB
- WCDMA 900/2100
- GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
- WCDMA 850/1900 (Latin America and Brazil variant only)
- Automatic switching between GSM bands
- Flight mode
Data network
- CSD
- HSCSD
- GPRS/EDGE class B, multislot class 32, maximum speed 296/177 kbps (DL/UL)
- WCDMA 2100/900 with simultanous voice and packet data, maximum speed PS 384/384 kbps (UL/DL), CS maximum speed 64 kbps
- HSDPA cat 6, maximum speed 3.6 Mbps (DL)
- WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g (3G version only)
- TCP/IP support
Local connectivity and synchronization
- Bluetooth version 2.0
– Bluetooth profiles: A2DP & AVRCP - MTP (Mobile Transfer Protocol) support
- TV out with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable (CA-75U, in-box)
- Support for PC synchronisation with Nokia OVI Suite
Call features
- Integrated hands-free speakerphone
- Number screening for messaging and calls
- Automatic answer with headset or car kit
- Any key answer
- Call waiting, call hold, call divert
- Call timer
- Logging of dialled, received and missed calls
- Automatic redial
- Speed dialling
- Voice dialling: speaker independent dialling and voice commands (SIND)
- Fixed dialling number support
- Vibrating alert (internal), also with tactile feedback
- Side volume keys
- Mute/unmute
- Contacts bar for 4 contacts with images and communication history (SMS, IM, email, web feeds)
- Talking ring tones
- Conference calling with up to 6 participants
- Video calling: up to 3h, QCIF 176 x 144 pixels, low up to 5 fps, normal up to 10 fps, smooth up to 15 fps
Messaging
- SMS
- Multiple SMS deletion
- MMS version 1.3, message size up to 600 kb
- Automatic resizing of images for MMS
- Nokia Xpress audio messaging
- Common inbox for SMS and MMS messages
- Number screening for messaging
- Distribution lists for messaging
- Instant messaging client
- Cell broadcast
- Supported protocols: IMAP, POP, SMTP
- Support for e-mail attachments
- OMA e-mail notification support
- Mail for Exchange 2008 in DL client, in 2009 embedded
Web browsing
- Supported markup languages: HTML, XHTML, WML
- Supported protocols: HTTP, WAP, JavaScript
- TCP/IP support
- OSS browser
- Nokia Mobile Search
GPS and navigation
- Integrated GPS for pedestrian and car navigation
- Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch application
- 3.2 megapixel camera (2048 x 1536 pixels)
- Image formats: JPEG
- Carl Zeiss optics
- 3x digital zoom
- Autofocus
- Dual LED flash
- Flash modes: On, off, automatic, red-eye reduction
- White balance modes: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent
- Centre weighted auto exposure; exposure compensation: +2 ~ -2EV at 0.5 step
- Normal, Sepia, Black&White, Vivid, Negative
- Dedicated camera key
- Landscape (horizontal) orientation
- Photo editor on device
- Direct printing to compatible picture printers
Video
- Main camera
Video recording at up to 640 x 480 pixels and up to 30 fps (TV high quality), up to 640 x 352 pixels and up to 30 fps (widescreen quality), up to 320 x 240 pixels and up to 30 fps/15 fps (email high/normal quality), up to 176 x 144 and up to 15 fps (sharing quality)
– Up to 4x digital video zoom - Front camera for video calling
- Video recording file formats: .mp4, .3gp
- Audio recording formats: WAV (normal), AMR (MMS), AAC/MP4 (high quality)
- Video white balance modes: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent
- Scene modes: automatic, night
- Colour tone modes: normal, sepia, black & white, vivid, negative
- Clip length (maximum): 1 h 30 min (high or normal quality). Dependable on available memory.
- RealPlayer
- Video playback file formats: MPEG4-SP playback 30fps VGA, MPEG4-AVC playback 30fps QVGA, WMV9 playback 30fps QVGA, MPEG4-SP playback 30 fps nHD
- Video streaming: 3GPP and CIF
- Landscape mode video playback
- Video editor on device
- Video Centre service supported: download and stream video content, WMV support, video feeds
Music and audio playback
- Nokia Nseries digital music player
– Playlists
– 8-band graphical equalizer
– selection by artist, composers, album and genre
album graphics display and audio visualisations
bass booster, stereo widening, loudness - Music playback file formats: .mp3, SpMidi, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
- Dedicated volume keys & immediate access to Music Player from Media Bar, dedicated music keys in the headset control unit AD-54
- Stereo FM radio
- 3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
- Music Player
- Nokia Music Manager
- Nokia Music Store support
- Nokia Podcasting support
- Ring tones: 3D stereo ring tones, 64-tone polyphonic, mp3 & video ring tones (3 videos and 9 mp3 songs built-in)
- Integrated stereo speakers with surround sound (crystal clear hi-fi sound quality with dedicated audio chip)
Voice and audio recording
- Voice commands
- Speaker-independent name dialling (SIND)
- Voice recorder
- AMR, NB-AMR, FR, EFR
- Digital stereo microphone
Personalization: profiles, themes, ring tones
- Customizable profiles
- Ring tones: 3D stereo ring tones, 64-tone polyphonic, mp3 & video ring tones
- Themes
- S60 5th edition
- Symbian OS version 9.4
- Active standby
- Media Bar
- Contacts bar
Personal information management (PIM): contacts, clock, calendar etc.
- Support for assigning images to contacts
- Support for contact groups
- Clock: analogue and digital, world clock
- Alarm clock
- Reminders
- Calculator
- Calendar with week and month view
- Converter
- Notes
- To-do list
Applications
- Java TM MIDP 2.0
- Flash Lite 3.0
- Games: 3D Bounce and Global Race, DVD: Ulead VTB
- Nokia Music Store
- Nokia Maps
- Map loader
- PC Download
- PC Photos
- OVI Suite with Nokia Music
- Download!
- Share on OVI
- Adding more applications:
– Over-the-air (OTA) downloads
Gaming
- Games: 3D Bounce and Global Race
- 5800 XpressMusic with pen stylus
- Battery (BL-5J)
- High Efficiency Charger (AC-8)
- Music Headset (HS-45, AD-54)
- Video-out Cable (CA-75U)
- Connectivity Cable (CA-101)
- 8 GB microSDHC card (MU-43)
- Carrying Case (CP-305)
- Stand (DT-29)
- Stylus plectrum in wrist strap (CP-306)
- Extra pen stylus
- User guide and Quick guide
- Mini DVD
- Nokia Stereo Headset (WH-500)
- Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset (BH-504)
- Nokia Mini Speakers (MD-8)
Compatible car solutions
- Nokia Car Kit CK-100
Compatible accessories
- Nokia Mini Speakers MD-6
- Nokia Bluetooth Speakers MD-7W
- Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-503
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