Ferdz Decena

The Olympus E-P1 now available in the Philippines The year 2009 has been looking good for Olympus since they launched the Olympus E-P1 last June 2009. I’ve been keeping close watch on the development of the Micro Four Thirds format and as of late it has been very promising in pushing the boundaries of design that other companies are already studying on how they could develop their own mirror-less interchangeable lens system just what like Olympus and Panasonic did.

The Philippine Blog Awards 2009 It’s that time of the year once again as we give recognition to the blogs that have moved and shaped the Philippine Blogosphere in their respective niches. It’s the 3rd year the Philippine Blog Awards (PBA) and each year it is getting better. The theme this year is “One Blogging Nation” and the celebration for the awarding of the best of the best will be held in three separate venues – Manila (Luzon), Cebu (Visayas) and Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao).

Launching of Apple's new iPod in the Phil Music have always been a constant travel companion. I got not one a but a few MP3 players at my disposal but I’ve only been a recent convert to iPod. I’ve only got an old iPod Classic Video but it works well and a pleasure to use bringing in full artist discographies at my disposal. Apple announcements have always been look forward to. And it’s great Apple isn’t far behind on distribution here. First up was the introduction of the new iPod Shuffle . It is now rectangular but sleek in design and comes in 5 different colors. Controls are via the earphones. Am not really a fan of the shuffle due to its low capacity and absence of status screens. But now they have increased the capacity and are able to save playlist. What’s more, it talks to you. On a press of a control, it tells you what playlist is running and even the name of the artist and song playing. That surely makes up for the lack of screen. 2gig capacity ...

Article Published on One Philippines August 2009 People have been asking for tips on how to get the most when taking photos during their travels. I’m sharing here and article I wrote for One Philippines , an entertainment and lifestyle newsmagazine for the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers and Pinoy migrants. It’s a general set of pointers both for point-and-shooters and new to DSLR cameras: There’s nothing like summer to stir wanderlust. We go to exotic places, embark on adventures, sample great food, and most importantly, share moments with friends and family. And the camera has become our third eye, capturing these important events in our lives so when we return home, we get to re-live our experience and share them on Facebook or via email to our friends. But sometimes, when we finally scroll through our photographs, we see blurry shots, awful lighting, unrecognizable landmarks or plain-to-crappy pictures. It can be frustrating, as we can’t take back the moments we r...

The author breathing in the morning air at Cameron Highlands Yesterday we finaly checked out of Impiana in Kuala Lumpur which has been our home for the last 5 days. We missed it already. Ivan was on his way back to Manila then while we were on our way to Cameron Highlands but our guide Marie suggested we make a brief stop at the Batu Caves which she said every visitor in Kuala Lumpur should see. We obliged of course but we weren’t really dressed for a 272 stair case climb. Interesting place though.

The Snow World in Genting Highlands Yesterday was a bit packed but extremely fun. Spending most of the day at the cool highlands of Genting . Amazing to have a huge theme park 1700 meters above sea level. An boy did we enjoy some rides. We even got to rub shoulders for a while with people from Sports Unlimited as they do their shoot there. An oh yeah, I get a kick that the Olympus E-3 can still function at the temperature of -4 degrees Centigrade.

Chikka Eat n' Drink Page on Cebu Smile Sept 09 If you’re gonna fly this September at Cebu Pacific, don’t miss flipping on the the pages of this month’s Cebu Smile Inflight Magazine . It got features on Korea’s Busan , Isabela’s Cauayan , and five unspoilt Isles in the Philippines. I aso have a a one page contribution on their regulars, Chikka Eat n’ Drink . Looking to taste some of the best Steaks in Manila, check out this issue as well. My photo contribution on this page features Fireplace, 22 Prime, Mamou and I am Angus Steakhouse Written by Franco