Ferdz Decena

Wearing the Columbia Freeze Degree Short Sleeve Polo Shirt So can a fabric be able to really cool you down when the heat is up and you’re all sweaty? I never thought it would be possible but somehow the folks at Columbia Sportswear managed to pull it off with their new technology called Omni-Freeze Zero . I actually have heard about it August last year when their Columbia Ice T came out (supposed to be the first shirt that can lower body temperature) and was waiting for it to arrive in the Philippines. It took a while but finally last weekend, we were able to try the technology ourselves when we went to Corregidor Island . We were given a Columbia Freeze Degree Short Sleeve Polo Shirt to wear during our Photo Challenge and test the Omni-Freeze Zero in the harsh humid conditions of the island.

The newly opened Crumpler Store at Shangri-la Mall East Wing One of the most beloved bags and accessories brand, Crumpler , known for its bold and unique design while remaining functional and sturdy ,opens another flagship store to widen its reach for the discerning customers who “Know how to live!”. The Crumpler Concept Store at Shangri-la Mall’s new East Wing officially opens to the public. It’s not just an ordinary store as it’s their biggest one yet. I was simply amused by the interiors, designed by award winning architects Ryan Russel and Byron George. The store is spacious, with numerous straps hanging from the ceiling creating a stimulating pattern and the mirror on one side made it feel like the store was larger as it seems.

The Nokia Lumia 720 Windows Phone 8 With the entrance of IOS powered iPhone and numerous Android devices, Nokia’s Golden Age simply fell into slumber along with its old symbian platform. I was one of the Nokia fans before who have lauded their remarkable hardware but always in a quandary with their software that can’t seem to catch up. Yes, Nokia deserves a second chance when they partnered with Windows Phone. I wanted to see how Nokia is doing this time around and it was perfect timing I got the opportunity to try the Nokia Lumia 720 on their Test Drive Project. For 5 days I played around with this mid-range priced looker of a phone. Here’s my take on the Nokia Lumia 720 with highlights on key features I look for on a phone.

The Acme Made SF Sleeve for MacBook Pro 13″ I was shopping around for a sleeve for my MacBook Pro when I ended up on a Lowe Pro Store in a mall. Known mostly for its camera bags and accessories, I was surprised they also carry laptop sleeves like Acme Made which is quite famous in the USA for its quality bags and sleeves for most Apple products. After looking around, I ended up getting the Acme Made SF Slick Sleeve .

The Philips ActionFit Sweatproof In-Ear headphones. Tuned for Sports Music gets me into the groove of my workout. When running it helps me synchronize my pace with the beat and at the gym, it really helps shut out some outside noise especially of people just yapping around and not really working out. I have  several earphones I use, the regular ones which I listen with for that much needed sound-trip and another one for active purposes. The Philips ActionFit Sweatproof In-Ear Headphone fits the latter and with a good budget tag to boot.

Facade of Coron Eco Lodge along Calle Real Coron has seen some major changes since my last visit 5 years ago. Aside from the better road from Busuanga Airport, definitely a lot more options for lodging has popped out. It was mid last year when Coron Ecolodge extended an invite to stay if ever we find ourselves in Coron. Luck have it that I I got a scheduled trip to Coron and took their invitation. Here’s my honest impression about this lodge.

Some of the photo tour participants at Kiltepan Viewpoint in Sagada I initially wanted to write the dispatch often during my 6 days with a Photo Tour Group organized by Karl Grobl for the Jim Cline Photo Tours. But I ended up late and sleepy in the evening or finding myself in a place with a poor internet connection especially in the highlands. Anyways, it’s the 3rd year for this photo tour and we had a full house of 10 photography enthusiast ready to explore and see what wonders the Philippine has to offer. It was a nice mix of group from the USA, Europe and Australia. They started in Manila the first of June and I came onboard later on the 4th to help out on their Vigan-Sagada-Baguio leg. As always, it is interesting to see different outputs from different photographers. From their styles and techniques to their creative vision. I didn’t shoot much as I try to keep myself away from people’s frame as having 12 photographers (including Karl and Kat from Jim Cline) ar...

The Huawei E355 Wingle I have been using the Huawei E355 for half a year now. I went to buy one last November 2012 as I was looking for a mobile wifi solution while I travel to several places for a few months. I bring along my MacBook, my iPad and mobile phones with me and wanted to somehow connect all devices. A simple datacard dongle wouldn’t suffice as it could only connect me to my main device. A pocket wifi was also an option but it was way over my budget at that time. I found that the Huawei E355 struck a balance in terms of cost and features.