Day: September 28, 2014

This is the symbolical jeepney’s successor, and it’s already in QC

Bob Freking Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

A lot of people would consider the jeepney a symbol of Philippine culture, where it comes from the words “Jeep” & “Jitney”, materializing after World War II. Because of arising environmental concerns and because of technological advancements, we are now seeing the next big step in local transportation take place – something we’ve reported last January; it’s called the COMET e-jeepney, and it’s debuting in Quezon City.

COMET e-jeepney

  • Power: electricity / lithium ion batteries, not diesel
  • Top Speed: limited to 60km
  • Charging time: 5 hours using 22ov
  • Milage: 80 km on a full charge
  • Cost of fuel: Php400-500 (diesel-powered jeepneys will cost Php1,000-Php1,200 for the same distance)
  • Initial routes: SM North Edsa – LRT Katipunan (Mindanao Avenue, Congressional Road, Luzon Avenue & Katipunan)
  • Fare: Same fare as regulated, but you can only ride if you get a Php20 prepaid card called a GET pass (no need “makiabot ng bayad”)
  • Extras: TV, CCTV & WiFi

During our report last January, COMET was supposed to run through EDSA as early as March. Over the following years, it is expected that 15,000 new jeepneys will replace 30,000 existing jeepneys. With this, we will be able to limit vehicle speeds, rid the streets of smoke & be more efficient with our rides. It’s about time.

COMET e-jeepney 2

Photos from Get Philippines Facebook Page

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‘Free’ internet: Is it worth it?

Carl Lamiel Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

Telecom rivals have announced their aces for all their prepaid subscribers this week: Smart with free 30MB mobile internet everyday until November 30, and again Globe with free Facebook starting next week. The next question that comes to mind: Are these really beneficial, or are they charge-bait promos that will give us more headaches?

smartphoneuse-1

Free internet is… well, free internet. Promos like these would greatly benefit those who are active online, as they can easily check on their own circles, and get updated wth the latest happenings. More browsing time online would mean more chances to reach your loved ones, or check up on very urgent matters that may arise from our everyday lives. With the start of the telecommunication networks’ free internet promos, what would we be seeing in the coming days?

  • More frustrated postpaid customers. The new data promos only affect the prepaid sector of the networks. Postpaid consumers are left out once again, complaining over our comments and social media channels. These are some, if not all, the same postpaid suscribers that were also complaining about the forthcoming…
  • …More congested mobile internet connection. With the addition of the prepaid subscribers to the mobile internet traffic, we can expect slower internet connection as it will be shared by more subscribers than the usual. The slow connection just got… slower. Smart by the way mentioned that their network is ready to accommodate the increasing congestion. Quoted tweet is from is Abbie Real, Social Media Manager for Smart/Sun/TNT.

  • Overspending by charge-bait outbound links or surfing over the limit. If you are careless about tracking your online activity with your smartphones, you might get charged with prepaid credits as your data activity is bound to be more than what is free. That includes watching videos or clicking outbound links inside the facebook app, or visiting websites that are data-hungry, or by simply leaving your sync settings on. We’ve ran down some tips on how to save your bandwidth in the long run here, which might hep you minimize your bandwidth spending.
  • A cover-up to the present-day issues plaguing the internet service industry? Let us not forget that we are still the country with the slowest internet speed in the ASEAN region. Recently, PLDT was called up to the Senate for hearings about IP peering issues. Is Smart’s free internet (and subsequently, Globe’s Free FB) move a way to eliminate the bad publicity their company (PLDT) has been getting as of the late?
  • Not everyone has access to the internet, so this won’t be easily utilized. A research conducted by Gallup in 2013 revealed that 4 out of 5 Filipinos do not have access to the internet. That may not be the case now, as local brands like Cherry Mobile, MyPhone and Starmobile paved the way for the masses to purchase internet-enabled phones and smartphones at more affordable prices.

At the end of the day, is all the effort done by the telecoms to provide ‘free’ internet worth it? Maybe. A winning situation for prepaid users who do not spend much on internet packages, and the losing end is the postpaid segment of the telecom market who actually pays for the internet service. This is based from previous experiences with promos like these: when someone gives out something for free, there is and there will always be a catch to it. The thing is, this should not be the telecom’s favor for us but rather our right from them. We have to assert our right to equal internet for all… and maybe a faster one too.

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Kolach

celia kusinera Leave a comment
The September Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Lucie from ChezLucie. She challenged us to make a true Czech treat –Kolaches!

Quite an interesting challenge considering I've never tried kolach before. So how was it? Well, as of posting time it is still cooling on a wire rack and I only tried a little portion without the cream filling. It was a bit bland though springy and soft which makes it perfect for some sweet or creamy filling. I was intrigued by the mayonnaise in the recipe but if you think about it mayonnaise is made up of oil, eggs, and vinegar or lemon juice. These ingredients are ubiquitous in cakes and breads so I was not surprised it worked.

A number of tweaks were done in the recipe such as reducing the size of the bread itself, added more baking time, and halved the streusel topping. Otherwise, it is a great recipe as an introduction to the world of kolaches!

Prague Kolach

Prague Kolach

*Cake:
250 g  [1 3/4 cups] plain flour
7 g  active dry yeast
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
5 Tbsp milk - warmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg - slightly beaten
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

*Streusel topping:
3 Tbsp plain flour
2 Tbsp caster sugar (superfine)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter - chilled

*For finishing:
1 egg - beaten

*Cream filling:
2 cups full-fat milk - divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup custard powder (vanilla pudding powder)
1/4 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
5 Tbsp double cream - chilled

*For cake:
  1. In a large bowl, sift flour and make a hole in the middle.
  2. Pour the yeast, 1 tsp of the sugar, and 1 Tbsp of the warm milk in the hole. Lightly mix the yeast, sugar and milk with a fork and sprinkle the surface with a little flour.
  3. Cover the bowl with kitchen towel and let rise for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead with dough hook or by hand until you have a smooth dough (about 10 minutes).
  5. Lift the dough from bowl. Lightly flour the bottom of the bowl and set the dough on it. Cover with clingfilm or towel and let rise for an hour until double its volume.
  6. Punch dough and knead a little. Form the dough into a ball and place onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
  7. Press the dough with your hands to shape it to a disc about 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter and 3/4-1 inch thick (2-2.5 cm). Cover with clingfilm and let rise for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C/fan 140°C.
  9. Brush top of the cake with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the streusel topping generously.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  11. Cut the cooled cake crosswise and spread the cream onto the bottom half. Cover with the upper half.

*For the streusel:
  1. Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  2. Cut in the chilled butter in the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

*For the cream:
  1. Mix 1/2 cup of the milk with the custard powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a saucepan mix the rest of the milk and sugar and bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Add the custard powder mixture and simmer for 3-5 minutes while stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl of your electric mixer and cool completely while blending at low speed.
  5. Add diced butter and beat until well mixed in.
  6. Whip the double cream in a separate bowl into stiff peaks. Fold in the custard mixture into the double cream.