APPS | Snapcart: Snap Receipts, Get Cashbacks

The frugal person in me has once again reigned due to the recent increase in expenses I had to deal with during the past months. First, I'd have to blame it on the spike in my electricity wattage consumption because of daily night-time use of our  old air conditioner. Shet sobrang init; abot singit! Second, I've been experiencing bad days in school and what better way is there to address this than to stress eat? I would often buy lots of food and chips haha. So it's safe to say I've gained some weight haha!

Spending more than the amount I used to, I became more aware how difficult life is for a lot of people. That's why I looked for ideas on how I could save some cash or at least get some rebates or cashback from purchasging (ergo, shopping). Luckily (or not haha),  I came across this app called Snapcart.

Essentially, Snapcart allows us buyers to get cashback from our purchase receipts. Snap receipts, earn cashback. There are a number of store receipt types allowed by Snapcart and these are enlisted far below. What we just need to do is click on the "snap" button when you open Snapcart. This will switch on our phone's camera and allow us to take clear (emphasis talaga on readable kasi they reject the snapshot if it's not readable) shots of our receipts.

Meanwhile, stores subscribed to Snapcart like Robinsons Supermarket, Savemore, SM Hypermarket and Mercury Drugstore are given insights on our purchases as buyers or shoppers. The information obtained from the receipts will give them what our preferences are when it comes to brands, what time we usually shop, how healthy we eat, etc.

Here are what you need to know about Snapcart:

1. How much is the cashback? How to maximize cashback?

The amount of cash rebated back to you will depend on how much your purchase was. Check out the Snapcart receipts amount range and you'll easily determine how much the cashback will be once they've processed the receipts you snapped.

GAME | Landlord Real Estate Tycoon App Guide, Problems, Bugs, Tips, Review

I recently downloaded this app or game called Landlord Real Estate Tycoon, created by Reality Games. With versions in both the iOS and Android platforms, this simulation game has got me hooked! 

And I've just been on my fifth (5th) day in Landlord! Well, you may ask what Landlord really is all about. Seen on the image shown on the left, Landlord allows you to simulate the world of real estate investing. This means you can start practicing before venturing into real estate business. What actually happens in the game is that you start off with $50,000 and in the process, you get to purchase from a list of properties within your designated area.

Generally, Landlord is quite a good game, if not for the bugs and glitches which I'll be mentioning in this article as well.

PROPERTIES WITHIN REACH

Yes, Landlord actually capitalizes on information that's accessible through an online map. So wherever you are, the Landlord properties that you can buy are right just near you waiting to be bought. These come in share or percentage/portion of the property you can own at a given cash balance and level.

Please click to enlarge

Glitch/Bug/Problem: It seems like the database of properties don't really necessary reflect that of what you found in online maps such as Google Map. Only a few properties get to show up in your Properties tab.

EASY ACCESS

It's really easy to access the game. All you need to have is a Facebook or Gmail account. You'd also receive free coins which can be used to fill cash into your purse up to the designated storage limit (depending on your level which then is affected by your total net worth).

Glitch/Bug/Problem: There is a noticeable issue with Landlord and that is "Network Error" which is probably due to an overload in the servers, hence, making it hard to access its tabs in some instances.

Tip: I would suggest that you use a separate Gmail account haha, so that you're friends won't know you're procrastinating! Haha!

RENT, COST, MARKET VALUE

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Each property, per level, will have rent (which, some say, is somehow linked to how social media perceive your property), cost, and market value. The market value may increase or decrease given some factors, and may dictate the price of your property at the Marketplace.

Glitch/Bug/Problem: Sometimes, the rent and cost values nullify or become zero (0). I don't understand how this happens, but I do hope the developers will come up with a fix for this asap.

Tip: There seems to be a fixed return on investment (ROI) for each property at each level. Thus, it would be better if you really compare and buy properties based on how you perceive them to be popular or appealing. Game pros may opt to correct me on this, if I am wrong.

MARKETPLACE

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The Marketplace is like a global market where all players can see your property and bid on it if they like it. The most actively bid property that I see is usually Starbucks. I don't understand why, but perhaps it's the hype associated with it as it really gives good returns. This hype won't last long though.

Images Courtesy: Player Alberto B.

Glitch/Bug/Problem: There are instances when you're truly unlucky that after you send your property to the Marketplace for bidding, your property's market value drops to as much as 1%. This happened to a fellow Landlord player of mine who placed his property for $1 billion for 100 percent. And l and behold, after several minutes, the market value fell to $10 million for 100 percent which caused bidders to fight for it.

The Marketplace is where buyers look for good properties unavailable within their area. It could stretch from all areas across the globe where there are landlords. So, if your property isn't unappealing (or is losing market value) for you anymore, then you can sell it in the Marketplace for 5 coins.

Once you've placed your Landlord property up for bids in the Marketplace, your property will be on queue for four (4) hours. Only then when it reaches the last hour will it start showing up in the Marketplace list and players will start making their bids.

Tip: Buy properties you perceive are worth owning so that even if these lose their market values, you'd still appreciate them. Just keep hustling and selling (flipping) properties that you think would be a good target for bidders out there. As for me, when I started out I bought clinics and hospital near my place and in the marketplace. :)

COINS, DOLLARS, NET WORTH

The digital currency being used in Landlord is in terms of US $, but some properties require a certain amount of coins in order to buy them. And you can refill with cash up to your level's storage limit through coins. This is the reason why some players really pay real money to get lots of coins so that they could increase their net worth (total empire's worth) faster.

Also, sums of coins may be used to increase your earnings or boosting your skills. I haven't actually tried increasing any of the skills, the benefits of which are enlisted below.

• Tycoon - increase property slots (default is 10 slots)
• Lawyer - increase properties waiting for paperwork (default is 1 property transaction processed at a time)
• Innovator - reduce property costs (default is 0%)
• Landlord - increase property rent (default is 0%)
• Accountant - reduce taxes (default is 0%)
• Speculator - increase property valuations (default is 0%)

Tip: These will be of great help once you've reach the multi-million or multi-billion net worth rankings. For now, focus on using your coins to refill cash and buy property. When you refill cash, make sure that the least amount of coins will be used to refill your purse, as being austere with your coins usage can be effective in getting to the millionaires hub within four (4) days.

ACTIVITY, PORTFOLIO, PROPERTY OFFERS, BANK, LEADER BOARDS

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Your sidebar will contain an Activity tab which actually details down the time you have done transactions (property sale or purchase), have made new friends, have received property offers, etc.

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A list of your properties may be viewed through your Portfolio tab. Here, you will see how much you are earning, how much you have earned in total, and what the properties' individual worth are. Some players if they want your property so bad or if they want to have fun would offer you more money more than the market value of your property through the Property Offers tab.

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Meanwhile, the Bank is where you get to purchase coins through your debit/credit card, remove ads, and fill your cash storage with the aid of coins. The leader boards will show you how you fare well vs your peers in the local, national, and global stage.

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Tip: At the bottom of the sidebar, you'll see an Invite Friends tab. Click on it and you'll see a unique code which you can share to your friends. When they punch in that code into the Enter box, you and they will get an additional $50,000. You may also check out the About Landlord tab if you need more help.

FINAL SAY

I guess I have contributed as much as I could in this article about Landlord, the real estate tycoon app. If I were to rate this, it would be a 2.99/5 as there is still much space for the game's growth and improvement especially on the part of the intermittent errors and value glitches that are happening. Landlord is a highly recommended game and one of the best tycoon games so far for tablets and smartphones.

If you need further support, join this community/group of Landlord players on Facebook: Landlord Real Estate Tycoon. See you there!

LIST | 5 awesome Filipino innovations you might not know

Did you know that aside from the creativity that we Filipinos possess, we also have that ingenuity, street-smart attitude, swag skills, and innovative thinking that bring us at par with our international counterparts? In a recent post I made, I talked about several Pinoy entrepreneurs who made it or are currently making it BIG including SALt (salt-powered lamp) innovator Engr. Aisa Mijeno. Now, let's talk about more products of Filipino minds!

Set aside all Filipino problems that brought us to the international headlines (e.g. tanim bala scam). Skip Filipino entertainment-related developments that always get some attention anywhere. Here are five awesome Filipino innovations you might not know, but will now learn about. Enjoy!

1. Plastic-to-Fuel Converter

Screenshot: Youtube channel Reuters

Bacolod native  Jayme Navarro utilized a way to turn thousands of trash into fuel such as diesel, gasoline, and kerosene. The incineration and conversion process begins when the plastics are shredded and dried, which are then placed into an air-tight chamber for decomposition. The plastic granules inside undergoes smelting and evaporates, the vapor of which becomes distilled into the different fuel variants.

The result is a cost-effective way to produce cleaner, cheap fuel from plastic.

2. Amphibious Tricycle (featured in my first blog Spotlight Philippines)

Video Source: Youtube channel Top Gear Philippines

Designed by a group of Filipino inventors and innovators led by Dominic Chung and Atoy Llave, the Salamander amphibious tricycle is the first of its kind to be created. It is a tricycle that can wade through the waters especially when heavy flooding takes place. This water-and-land traveling tricycle is definitely what the country.

3. First Windows graphics accelerator chip

Image Source: Imbenta.Net

Yep, there were a few Filipinos who had the chance to venture into and explore the world of tech when the industry was just starting to grow. The first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator which enhanced computers' performance was developed by Filipino entrepreneur, engineer, and philantropist Diosdado Banatao. The innovation has allowed computer users to use graphics for commands and not the usual typed commands in older computers.

Aside from the graphical UI accelerator, he was also behind the 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator, the first 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS with silicon coupler data-link control and transreceiver chip, and the first system logic chip set.

4. Improvised Medical Incubator, Weighing Scale and Warmer

Image Source: Imbenta.net

Credited for her contributions to the field of medicine, National Scientist Dr. Fe del Mundo is truly a woman, although not known to many Filipinos, who deserves all the love and respect of her countrymen. She became the first Filipino woman and the only woman to have enrolled at the Harvard University School of Medicine during her time. Among her priceless accomplishments, a makeshift incubator that can be used in rural areas without electricity was one of the game-changers at that time. It was composed of two native differently-sized laundry baskets placed one inside another. She also made a cloth-suspended weighing scale for infants and a bamboo warmer for newborns with special care needs.

5. Furniture from Forest Waste

Image Courtesy: Naturecast.com

Let's talk green! Featured on Rappler, Naturescast is a wood-like material actually composed of forest waste (twigs, branches, leaves) which are then ground and bound to form stylish and sturdy furniture from chairs and lamps to walls and ceilings. Some of the products of Nature's Legacy, the company behind Naturescast, are being used by outlets like The Body Shop.

There's just a lot of development nowadays that Filipinos do. Just think about the numbers of start-ups that have flourished in the country. Don't forget the inventions and researches that are being conducted inside top universities.

Other innovative products that Filipinos can usually think of, because they're just seen and heard on the news, are the e-jeepney, yo-yo, patis (fish sauce), body heat-powered flashlight created by Ann Makosinsk, low-cost landslide sensor, Project NOAH and its Philippine-made MOSES tablet, and of course, the Aurelio supercar. But did you also know that Filipinos also innovated an electric firecracker (Elektro firecracker), a 3-in-1 ANOS Patriot fire truck, and an improvised community guard baton? 

Feed your curiosity. Search them up! :)

TECH | 35 cool new inventions you would love to have

I got to check out this cool Youtube channel The Future Is Now which features so many up-and-coming and currently existing gadgets that are ready to take on the world. These devices will surely make you want to strive harder at work to get a piece of!

Take a glimpse of what the future holds for everyone of us! With the accelerating pace of technology, wondering what's yet to come is definitely something that goes beyond what the mind can take. Take this mind-blowing playlist of some of the things that we can get to try in life! Enjoy your weekend!

Videos Courtesy: Youtube channel The Future Is Now

TECH | Bye Bye Wi-Fi, Hello Li-Fi! Downloading an HD film in a matter of seconds now achievable!

The development of the world wide web, together with the consequent fast-paced movement of invention and innovation from the smartphone and tablet predecessors to all-in-one, sleek, stylish, and minimalist gadgets, has in some ways opened doors to everyone from all walks of life granting them the opportunity to change and improve the way they think and learn and to understand just about anything in just a few types and clicks. 

Wi-Fi has continued to break the barrier that hindered anyone from getting access to trillions of information technically contributing to a raised awareness and enhanced knowledge of all things comprehensible. But while a lot thought Wi-Fi is one of the best things that have happened to humanity in the 21st century, a new method of data transmission that when commercially launched will enable anyone to download a high-definition (HD) film in seconds has been in the works!

Li-Fi is a superbly fast alternative to Wi-Fi. It's 100 times faster than current Wi-Fi technologies. The image below shows how Li-Fi (from visible light communication) works.

Image Courtesy: Boston University

A real-world pilot testing of Li-FI technology carried out by Estonian start-up Velmenni in offices and industrial environments in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, has revealed that Li-Fi is able to send data up to 1 GBps or 224 gigabits per second! I think the fastest download speed that money can buy in PH right now is 200 Mbps or 200 megabits per seconds. 

Meanwhile, Li-Fi tech can realistically reach speeds of up to 224,000 megabits per second which is more than 1,000 times that of what Sky Broadband provides for a price of around 35k Php per month!

As of this moment, Li-Fi is not yet being mass produced because techniques are still being developed on how to retrofit it to the devices that we have.

But imagine if we have LED bulbs that act as some form of router counterparts for Li-Fi? Or say, your smartphone's Flash or back light or wall lamps emitting Li-Fi? How about accessing your favorite websites and streaming online movies while inside the plane?

Li-Fi technology was developed in 2011 by Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh, who demonstrated that with a flickering light from a single LED, he can transmit more data than what a cellular tower can do. Check out his TED talk video below.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel TED

Although this breakthrough technology will provide wider opportunities for everything that involves "data", it won't be as promising a catalyst here in the Philippines which needs massive infrastructure upgrades to cater to the still-growing BPO industry and other sectors that rely heavily on digital transmission.

TECH | Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to take two months of paternity leave

Looks like soon-to-be dad Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is so excited to take on the role of a parent to his wife Priscilla Chan's daughter. In fact, he'll take two months of paternity leave after the birth of his daughter.

Image Courtesy: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

In an announcement to his timeline, he said:

Priscilla and I are starting to get ready for our daughter's arrival. We've been picking out our favorite childhood books and toys. 

We've also been thinking about how we're going to take time off during the first months of her life. This is a very personal decision, and I've decided to take 2 months of paternity leave when our daughter arrives. 

Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families. At Facebook we offer our US employees up to 4 months of paid maternity or paternity leave which they can take throughout the year.

Every day things are getting a little more real for us, and we're excited to start this next stage in our lives.

Facebook grants US employees up to four months of paid parental leave which could be used all at once or throughout the child's first year.

Zuckerberg, however, did not say who would be replacing him at the company.

TECH | Super cool futuristic inventions you'd love to have

These days so many amazing stuff are flocking the market in great numbers! From extra smart gadgets to innovations of traditional existing things, there's just too much excitement for what's in store for all of us in the next decade. Our potential as advanced thinking, creative creatures just keeps on growing and expanding beyond what our brains can comprehend.

In this post, Manila LifeBox takes you into The Future Is Now's presentation of really cool futuristic inventions to watch out for. 

What if you can buy a stable, tethered quadcoptet that will record an aerial footage of your adventures or perhaps special occasions like weddings? It's a bye bye to hassle selfie shots and a hello to convenient user-adjusted third-party shots using Fotokite Phi!

What if you decide to fabricate own artistic designs? The Simo Mini printing pen allows you not to only 3D-print, but also to solder, cut, and burn material at your own pace! It allows you to just create anything out of your imaginative minds!

There's also FABtotum PRISM, an advanced 3D printer which allows you to do more than just 3D-print with accuracy, but also allows you to cut, scan, and mill. As soon as the cost of production of these printers go down, local plastic manufacturers will definitely have problems competing and catching up with owners of these printers!

What about owning a smart bike that allows you to navigate the quickest, safest route, and that warns you about anything when you make a turn? But not only that, Smart Halo tracks your calories burned, average speed, distance traveled, time it took to finish certain routes, and as well as elevation. How cool is that!

One of the best innovations I've seen is for the usual day-to-day backpack. The iBackPack is ultra smart in that it allows you to be the life of the party by having cool integrated speakers, USB ports, fast wifi router, GPS navigator, retractable USB cords, and a built-in battery! 

Check out the video for the actual devices!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel The Future Is Now

COOL | A hoverboard that can fly! Looks like anyone can fly on their own in the near future!

Some of us dreamed of learning how to fly when we were young. No, I'm not just talking about the aspiration to maneuver an airplane (although that's big a dream enough), but literally flying as a substitute mode of movement for walking! With this, the possibilities of finding shortcuts to get to your place and finding new angles of your landscapes are pretty endless!

Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru just brought this dream one step closer to reality as he has successfully launched his own flying hoverboard through his company Omni Hoverboards. The 31-year-old Romanian-born inventor took the Guinness World Record for making the longest and furthest hoverboard flight in history.

Through his invention, he was able to fly 16 feet up in the air at a distance of 275.9 meters over Lake Ouareau in Quebec, Canada.

In an interview with CBC News, he said, “I saw how technology was evolving, and I was thinking ’This is actually possible,' So I thought, ’Why not?'”

Check out this cool flying hoverboard and its pilot Duru in the video below.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Guinness World Records

TECH | Mark Zuckerberg's Internet.org helps Filipino local factory worker aim for her dreams

“Being connected means having opportunity. We're connecting the world so one day everyone can fulfill their dreams -- just like Marissa,” this is what summed up Mark Zuckerberg’s recent post on October 15 in his account about Internet.org’s ability to help those who have no internet access and bring change to their lives.

Enter Marissa. She is a Filipino factory worker who dreams of becoming a businesswoman one day. From her meager income, she’s able to slowly set aside capital to have more stuffed toys which she sells through Internet.org. Watch the video below.

This is a great story about Marissa -- a young woman working long hours in a factory, yet she uses Internet.org to fulfill her dreams of opening a business of her own.Being connected means having opportunity. We're connecting the world so one day everyone can fulfill their dreams -- just like Marissa.
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, October 15, 2015

In the video, Marissa narrates, “Araw-araw sa loob ng pabrika ay pare-pareho. Nag-tratrabaho ako ng mahabang oras, pero may mga pangarap naman ako. Balang araw, magiging negosyante din ako. At sa maliit kong kinikita sa pabrika ay sinisimulan ko nang mag-ipon para sa aking puhunan. Nakakakita ako ng magagandang benta gamit ang Internet.org. Balang araw magiging negosyante ako at magkakaroon ako ng tindahan ng mga manika. Kug makikta mo akong sampung taon mula ngayon ay baka hindi mo nn ako makikilala.”

This just shows that no matter who you are right now, you always have the power to rise above challenges and chase your dreams. Keep moving.

Internet.org is an initiative led by Facebook targeting to provide free Internet access to areas of the world with no or limited internet access. Services offered by the internet.org app include those for education, health, work and communication. 

To avail of these services, just install the Internet.org Android app via Google Playstore or visit http://internet.org/ from your phone. The app is only applicable for Smart, Talk ‘n Text, and Sun Cellular subscribers since these telecome companies are the partners of Facebook in this campaign. Open the app and from there, a dialogue box will be displayed. Then, click Continue and turn on your mobile data connection. After that, the free services can now be used.