My Mighty Mouse scroll ball hasn’t been working properly for several months now. I can only scroll up, left and right but now down. It was annoying but I adapted; instead of dragging the sidebar downwards every time, I start at the bottom of the page and scroll up. But just a few minutes ago, this Mighty Mouse was just too good to even scroll up. I was about to online shop for a new mouse when it occurred to me ‘google’ how to fix it. Apparently, it’s a common problem.

After a few minutes checking out several how-to websites, I’ve found that various people tried out several things. Well, I tried one that’s the easiest to do. I flipped my mouse upside down on a clean piece of paper, pressed hard and roll it around several times. And well, it worked! You could see how it’s done in the video tutorial below.

In just 23 hours, this side of the world will be celebrating Christmas day. The holiday season is one of those times that  makes me miss being a student, because back then I had a ‘holiday break’. After two years of being part of the workforce, I have never really had a decent holiday break. Well, it’s definitely not like it used to. Ah, the simple of joys of childhood.

About two weeks ago, I planned to post my wish list just in case someone should stumble upon the post and generously decide to send me a gift. But with just a few hours before Christmas, it’s probably too late to post the list. Well, since I have my wish list typed out already, I might as well post it.

My Top 5 Christmas Wishlist

1. Fuji Instamax

White Fuji Instamax

I’ve been hunting down this camera for so long. So far, I haven’t found any Fuji Metro Manila branches that carry the Instamax cameras. Only local online sellers have them.

2. iPod Touch

The iPod Touch

I have always wanted an iPod since it came out. However, the thing is ridiculously expensive, especially when you know that another upgraded version will be coming out in the next few months. I’ve been holding out from getting one for several years now. But now, I really really want one. I’ve already arranged my iTunes playlist in preparation for it. If I don’t get one this Christmas, I might get one next year as a birthday present for myself.

3. Canon Powershot S95

Canon S95

And yes, another camera. This one is a point-and-shoot camera that should be easy to carry around. I already have a Canon EOS 400D camera, however, it’s quite bulky. Carrying it around especially during vacation trips is quite a pain. Sometimes, I just want something in hand to easily capture the moment and not worry about all the controls. The Canon Powershot S95 should be perfect for that purpose.

4. Canon Speedlite 580EX II

Speedlite 580EX II

The Speedlite 580 EX II will definitely compliment my Canon EOS 400D. I’ve been wanting AND needing one for several years now. It makes me wonder why I didn’t just buy one.

5. Boxing Gloves

Boxing Gloves

The boxing gloves seem really out of place in this gadget-full wish list but it’s something I’ll be able to use. I’ve recently tried out boxing and I’ve enjoyed it so far. Currently, I’m training using my own hand wraps while borrowing any of the gloves in the gym. And really, the gym’s boxing gloves are not, uhm, pleasant to use. I’ve held out buying my own gloves because I wanted to try out the training first and see if I’ll actually stick to it.

After several training sessions and using the nth smelly gym gloves, I think it’s about time that I have my own boxing gloves. I’ll most likely get myself one but it wouldn’t hurt if someone gifts it to me. And no, I don’t really want the diamond crusted boxing gloves.

And that’s it for my Top 5 Wish List. I have several runners up but I’ll save it for my birthday.

Happy Holidays!

No, I don’t have a new phone yet. I wish. I recently saw Nokia’s newly launched N97 and immediately fell in love with it. This is the exact look of the cellphone I wanted. I wish I could do a full on review about this gadget. Unfortunately, it still hasn’t been released here yet plus its price would probably break my bank account. For sure, I’ll be watching the price trend of this. Hopefully, I’ll be able to afford it some time next year.  

I want!

Specifications:
Memory

• MicroSD memory card slot, hot swappable, up to 16 GB
• Internal memory: 32 GB

Connectivity

• Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
• Support for local and remote SyncML synchronisation
• High-Speed USB 2.0 (micro USB connector)
• 3.5 mm AV connector

Data Network

• GPRS class A, multislot class 32
• WCDMA maximum speed up to 3.6 Mbps
• HSDPA maximum speed up to 3.6 Mbps
• WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g maximum speed up to 11Mbps/54Mbps

Calls, Sharing & Internet:

• Email: Easy-to-use email client with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
• Built-in browser: Visual history, HTML and JavaScript support, Flash Lite 3.0 and Flash video support
• Online Share with connectivity to popular sharing services
• Video calling

Entertainment

• 5 megapixel camera
• Video capture in MPEG-4 up to VGA at 30 fps; length up to 90 minutes
• Music player 
• FM radio
• Games
• Widgets

Power Management

• BP-4L 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Talk time (maximum): GSM up to 570 min /  WCDMA up to 360 min

For the complete specs, you can go here. You can read N97 reviews at the following sites: Engadget, Boy Genius Report, Cellphone Reviews. You can also check out Nokia’s N Series blog for more info regarding the N97.

Nokie!

Meet my new baby, Nokie. Looks like I’ve got 2 down already. Though, it’s not the original phone that I wanted. Oh well, Nokia E75 was just too expensive for my budget. 

Anyway, I’m happy with my purchase. I’ve had it for a week and I’m still not done playing and discovering its features. Right now, I’m loving the camera. It’s been a while since I took a picture via camera phone and actually liked it. My two previous non-Nokia phones with built-in camera didn’t take nice and clear photos thus, I rarely use this feature. With E63, I get to take pictures all the time. Post below is one example.

I also love the Wi-Fi feature. It’s one of the primary reasons why I caved in to various micro blogging tools out there [twitter, plurk]. For me, micro blogging is something you do on the fly. Now, I’ve got the excuse to do just that. It doesn’t hurt that there are a lot of establishments here that offer free Wi-Fi. Yey for me! 

Another thing that I’m surprised about this phone is it’s battery life. All my previous phones usually last me just a day of minimal usage – few SMS and calls. E63, on the other hand, lasts for 2 days and I’m practically using all of its features – SMS, calls, camera, Wi-Fi, notes, calendar. I’m thinking that maybe it’s just new. Let’s see in a couple of months.

I thought I would have a hard time with adjusting to the QWERTY keypads but apparently not. I can text just as fast as before. Though now I tend to completely spell out the words instead of abbreviating it. This is a good thing for me spelling and grammar wise but not for my bill. Complete words means longer messages, longer messages means it’ll be counted as TWO sms, which$$$ for my provider.

Speaking of providers, I just recently submitted the transfer of ownership application for my phone number’s postpaid account. Currently, my postpaid account is still under my dad’s name. We got it around 8 years ago and of course I was still not financially capable of paying for it. Now, I am. More bills, bills, bills for me.

Anyway, back to Nokie. Overall, I love this phone. It’s probably the best one after 3 years of using failed non-Nokia phones and besting my long lasting Nokia 6630, which, minus the short battery life, is still functioning.

My new baby! (Macmac Jr)

I have a new baby! I’m calling it Macmac Jr. 

If you can remember, I blogged about the top 3 gadgets I want. I can finally cross one out from that list, which is the 20-inch iMac 2.66 GHz. I finally “bought” it a few days ago. Yey! Well, technically, I still don’t own it; my mom does. I asked my mom if we could use her credit card because 1) I can’t take out that much money in one sitting and 2) I still don’t have that much credit limit. So now, I have a year to pay for it. But still, new desktop FTW! 

I have christened it Macmac Jr.. If you’re wondering about the Junior part, it’s because I called my Powerbook G4, Macmac. I know it’s weird that I give names to my gadgets. I blame it on a pet deprived childhood. Haha.

As I’m typing this blog entry, I’m still awing at it. The monitor is huge! I’m still getting used to its side and speed. Compared to Macmac, everything seems to have doubled or tripled even, especially the speed. Obviously, the monitor size has doubled too. Good thing I didn’t opt for the 24 inch. I would have been overwhelmed by its size. 

Based from the first few days I’ve been using this, I can definitely say that it’s a good buy.