The Diminishing Skill of Handwriting

Graphology^ - the study of handwriting, especially as an indicator of the writer's character or disposition. Ain't it wondrous to know then that you could actually  tell partially   the character of a person based on his handwriting? It may seem potent and palpable to judge from that point but sad to say, almost everyone of us, adults primarily do not hone our handwriting skills anymore.

We are glued to our computer terminals all day long dribbling our fingers on the keyboard, nonetheless, tapping onto our smartphone's touchscreens or using the QWERTYs on our Blackberry devices. Seldom do we pick up a pen and write at least multiple sentences or even paragraphs, we may at times use the ballpoint on those occasions where we just need to sign a document and scribble our signatures. It was all true! Our handwriting skills are deteriorating... at these times of digital age.

They said, your handwriting is an important part of your personality. But how far are we going up in enhancing this skill? We may have drilled it a lot during our elementary days where the teacher would assign a five-page handwritten letter of an essay,  yet those were the days.

Call me a romantic but i still find that magical feeling whenever i'm using a pen & paper for my love letters. There's something distinct between the two that tries to convey the warmth or coldness, or whatever theme you may want to communicate in a letter.

Maybe i'm just being so indulging about writing that i still carry my hardbound notepad/planner/diary all-in-one, it dawned on me now that it was actually a double purpose in honing my writing skills, both mentally and physically - that is, practicing my cursive handwriting. Despite the tablets and smartphones  (OneNote app) lying around my palm, i feel empty-handed whenever i don't bring with me my blackbook (planner all in one) and my pen. It serves as my armor and bullets ready for a war and at times of meditative learning.

The most significant question that's in my mind right now while writing this post is, "Is it really important to practice handwriting at these times of the digital age?".  I'd say yes, but everyone is not required to do it. My theory is, as long as you are not neglecting this kind of skill as an art of expression, then you will never lose it, for it has been instilled and acquired in our minds, all you have to do is revive it from time to time. Don't let it rust and don't let the sharpness become blunt.





MAC
^defnition from wordweb

Favicon for Blogger Users now available in Blogger Draft

Hats off to the software engineering team from El Goog's blogger platform. The big G has finally granted one of the many blogger's wishes -  to easily customize the faviCon on the blogspot. It's that one tiny icon that appears on your browser's tab that links and symbolizes your blog page or website. This has been my impending project for months but i just couldn't crack out the hell of the html code. Silly though may it seem, i discovered just now that Photoshop couldn't save a .ico file, as i was trying to create one. Good thing, there are online tools like www.favicon.cc to supplement my immediate need of creating that minute icon.


I tried mine and voila!, it reflected immediately.

faviCon

on the side note, if you're a blogger user, make sure you're logged in to draft.blogger.com so that this feature is visible. Only then you could activate your own faviCon.






MAC

Gizmo (1)

I went to delve into your deepest of roots

But you swayed and said not yet

Slowly I unearthed your secrets

Oh yeah it wasn't at all unraveled

Your powers aren't enough you said

Then I became addicted to your games

Of endless nights my hands have swelled

In pressing, touching and tapping

On Your hardened glass of skin

Illuminating my eyes to see more

Of Your beauty and desirable effects

That I couldn't resist no more to let go of you

That even in my sleep it's You that I hold on to

As I wake up in the morning, You're the first thing

That my hands would seek

Slowly, stirring you to stop whispering into my ears

About your sound that disturbs my early morning dreams

And then with my finger I set you to snooze

But you were persistent you wanted me to touch

And so ive no choice but to satisfy your urges

To finally turn off your alarms of reminders

But then I couldn't thank you just enough

For shedding the news from the outside world

As I sat and drink my tea, you flash your daily digest

Giving me perspective to the world of unrest

You even skillfully showed the latest updates

Of how to feed you and be the best of your health

I heeded on to your request, and I told you to just wait

That tonight we'll do it then

And so throughout the day you are with me

Either I'm holding you with my hand

Or You're at close to my legs

And at times when I have to hear someone else

You never faltered to be so close to my ears

And transfer the thoughts and mimes

No matter how long the distance is

And I felt you hot at times, but I never cooled you

Instead when you are about to get drained

I plugged you deep for your revival

And you got soaked in energy once more

Ready to give, ready to deliver

Your most capable aura of a shiver

You know, I never wanted for you to be alone

And so even I'd just go for a pee

I'd snatch you from your cradle and bring you with me

To the restroom I'm still holding you tight

And tapping, checking if everything's alright

Thanks for the mail fetch and the FB notes

Im not to forget the text message you've showed

That bring my lips to a smile

And so you blushed and I wiped to make you shine

Then your white sister came in a rush one day

I was surprised I got awestruck and dumbfounded

To her beauty and her enormous flare

You seemed jealous but you never confronted me

Instead I felt you waited further for affection

But it seems I could no longer match on what I feel

I was thinking of something irrationally

Yet my mind said I couldn’t really replace you

I thought you wept that night…

But you felt at ease again when I unlock you

And be enthralled once more to what are you

Cherishing every moment on what you could offer

To quench my need and love for being you.

mac

(iPhone5  is coming soon)

iBooks 1.3 (enhanced iBooks in shaping its potential as a supplemental gateway to learning)

If you own an iDevice especially the iPad2 or the iPhone4 whilst iBooks app isn't installed, then you're losing a lot from your kewl gizmo. iBooks is awesomely created for those who, in their entire existence couldn't live a single day without reading and munching words directly from their "shiny smart toy".

It's imperative really to install the iBooks app in your iDevice either you are a bookie bookworm or not. Consider the possibilities of an infinite learning system through books and .pdf manuals. iBooks has been one of my top 10 fave apps that i blogged last year. To intensify the need for this app, i heard that it will be an integral part of the upcoming iOS5 just like Twitter as the social networking app for all iDevices.

In the meantime, let's take a look at this latest update from iBooks 1.3. Believe it or not! it will support audio this time. Ain't that sweet? The future of digital books is actually coming into a full 3D mode, at first it was all pure text, now, as per Apple per se, some books will have their own narrator, so it would be ala podcast style or audiobook style.

Go and grab your updated version from the app store now.

How to Create a US iTunes account? (part 2 - credit card not required)

If you're new to the iOS ecosystem, what is the first and foremost element that you're going to set-up? Whether your iDevice is an iPhone, iPod Touch or the iPad, your apple ID is your watershed and gateway to a plethora of iOS applications. Technoklutz and smartphone enthusiasts have long been agreed that one major edge for the iOS platform compared to the Android Market is the gazillion choices for apps.

There is a part 1 of this article which i've posted here on my blog, but that was applicable when you're setting up via iTunes on a PC. Now, we're going to show how much more comfortable in setting up a new iTunes account using your, say, iPhone...

1. If your Apple ID is currently signed in, Go to
           SETTINGS > STORE > and then sign out from there.

2. Once you've signed out. Launch your APP STORE application and choose to download a free application. (eg) Demotivation Pics

3. It will then prompt you to Create a New Apple ID (see image)

4. Hit the Create a New Apple ID and you're on your way in creating a new account. The default would be United States. DO NOT change this.

5. After you hit next, you will get enthralled by the Terms and Conditions

6. Make sure to  hit "Agree" otherwise...

7. Then it will prompt you now to enter your email address, your desired password, and the security question. I would suggest for you to use Gmail.

8. Up next would be your mode of payment.  The default is VISA but make sure to tap it so that you could change it to NONE.

9. Now, this is the tricky part - Your Billing Information and Billing Address. Given that you've selected NONE as your mode of payment, and remember that your store location was set to United States (remember step 4?), you must then provide a valid US address.

10. This is just an expanded fill in the blanks continuation part of step 9. Please make sure that the address is for real and existing in the US. The City, State, and the Zip code should all be matching.
ps: if you don't have a relative in the US, try asking el Goog

11. Another tricky part is the telephone number. This must be matching also with the United States City and State you've entered previously.

12. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. Just hit on next, and next and next until you get to the page where an email has been sent to your email address, please check your email and verify it.

After completing the process, go check your inputted email and verify your account by clicking the link. Once verification is completed. Relaunch your APP STORE and get wild in installing free applications without spending a cent.

Inevitably, you would still want to buy those paid applications such as the iDisk or your favorite Angry Birds full version, if this is the case, then please go back to SETTINGS > APP STORE and update your Billing Info by inputting your credit card details and the matching address where it was registered.

My deepest thanks to Froilan for shedding the light here, cuz all i thought was, you could not create a US Apple ID account using the iPhone alone. Now it was even easier.