Reviews Archives - Page 7 of 24

6 Reasons Why The New ASUS #ZenPhone 2 Is Ideal For Mums!

May 28, 2015 16 Comments

it is time to #SeeWhatOthersCantSee with the new #ZenFone 2 review will be up on mum-writes.com soon ????????

A photo posted by Vix Parungao (@mumwrites) on May 17, 2015 at 7:28pm PDT

I have mentioned in my previous ASUS ZenPhone2 post that I shall be reviewing this awesome new mobile phone model very soon here, so let us not beat around the bush and let us #SeeWhatOthersCantSee. Here are the Top 6 reasons why I thought this new flagship phone model is the ideal for all the hardworking, multi-tasking mums out there:

1. The Beautiful and Ergonomic Design

Don’t we mums love the beautiful union of beauty and functionality? Practical and budget-savvy that we are, we like our stuff functional without sacrificing its aesthetic value, and I thought ASUS captured that best with their brand new ZenPhone 2. The concentric-circle design, one of the most iconic feature of ASUS mobile phones, along with its slim profile {can you believe it is just 3.9mm at the thinnest edge?}, allows the phone to fit securely into a busy mum’s hand, while its beautiful metallic hairline finish gives it the beauty and elegance, as well as the feel, of metal.

ZenPhone 2 is also uniquely designed without borders to give a 72% Screen-to-Body Ratio, giving the user more screen space in a 5.5-inch smart phone and for a mum who does not have a 20-20 vision and has to strain her eyes to check applications and social media pages on a small mobile phone screen, I thought this is brilliant! I also love that ZenPhone 2 does not have any control buttons on its side but have this Intuitive Controls on the back. No worries about your phone accidentally waking up while left unlocked and unchecked in your pocket or your purse.

2. Fast Charging Feature

The last thing mums need is having their gadgets get in the way of going about their day-to-day activities, heading out to enjoy the great outdoors with the little ones, and basically live life to the fullest. So I particularly love this ZenPhone 2 feature. It comes with a 3000mAh Batttery and coupled with ASUS BoostMaster Technology that will allow mums to charge her Zenphone 2 of up to 60% for just about 39 minutes! I charged mine at 10% battery life and was finished after about less than an hour so there is no need to wait for long periods of time just to have your mobile phone charged!

3. The World’s First 4GB Smartphone

A super-fast phone is a must for any multi-tasking mum’s arsenal and ZenPhone 2 is just the perfect fit. With its 4GB RAM, you will never have to worry about your phone running slow or sluggish that you have to use apps one at a time or have to remove background apps while using Facebook or playing games, or in my little man’s case, watching his favorite videos on youtube.

I was in the mall over the weekend for an event and I used my ZenPhone 2 to snap photos and upload them on Instagram and even when I am using a public WI-FI access, I never encountered any problems uploading photos. I even get to edit the photos and make a few collages. With its 64-bit Intel CPU, ZenPhone 2 truly is a “Monster.”

book review, books, Reviews

Book Review: L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers Of The Future Volume 31

May 4, 2015 17 Comments

When I was asked to review the latest installment of Writers Of The Future Anthology, I readily signed up mainly because I enjoy reading science fiction novels and stories. I love how they sweep you off your feet and transport you into an entirely different universe. I love how these stories are intricately woven to make time travel, parallel universe, and highly-advanced technology and civilization seem plausible.

This book is a collection of 13 stories from the Writers of the Future International writers’ program, 3 short stories penned by L. Ron Hubbard, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rebecca Moesta/Larry Niven, as well as essays on writing and illustration written by L. Ron Hubbard, Orson Scott Card, and Bob Eggleton. The 489-page book published by Galaxy Press, Inc also features illustrations done by the winners of the Illustrators of the Future International illustrators’ program.

The 13 award-winning stories that make up this illustrious collection are:

Switch by Steve Pantazis, Illustrated by Daniel Tyka {p 1}
The God Whisperer by Daniel J. Davies, Illustrated by Alex Brock {p 49}
Stars That Make Dark Heaven Light by Sharon Joss, Illustrated by Choong Yoon {p 59}
A Revolutionary’s Guide To Practical Conjuration by Auston Habershaw, Illustrated by Shuangjian Liu {p 143}
Twelve Minutes To Vinh Quang by Tim Napper, Illustrated by Quinlan Septer {p 171}
Planar Ghosts by Krystal Claxton, Illustrated by Amit Dutta {p 189}
Between Screens by Zach Chapman, Illustrated by Trevor Smith {p 247}
Unrefined by Martin L. Shoemaker, Illustrated by Tung Chi Lee {p 265}
Half Past by Samantha Murray, Illustrated by Megan Kelchner {p 297}
Purposes Made From Alien Minds by Scott R. Parkin, Illustrated by Emily Siu {p 311}
The Graver by Amy M. Hughes, Illustrated by Taylor Payton {p 365}
Wisteria Melancholy by Michael T. Banker, Illustrated by Michelle Lockamy {p 393}
Poseidon’s Eyes by Kary English, Illustrated by Megan Nelson {p 423}

Writers Of The Future Volume 31 is a beautiful amalgamation of different out-of-this-world {in a good way} tales that are guaranteed to keep you up late at night just so you can finish them all. These stories will amuse you, make you laugh, and tag at your heartstrings, too. I have yet to finish the entire book, but most of the stories I have read so far are really fascinating.

Product Review, Products and Brands, Reviews, simple pleasures

Product Review: Casa de Lorenzo’s Coffee Dark + Lemongrass Manila Castile Soaps

April 19, 2015 53 Comments

Coffee is one of my simple indulgences. The truth is, it feels like I am not fully awake until I have my mug of steaming hot coffee in the morning. This is the reason why I readily signed up to review the all new Casa de Lorenzo Coffee Dark and the Lemongrass Manila Castile Soaps. I am so excited to experience how my favorite pick-me-upper will do the same for my skin. I have tried other products from Casa de Lorenzo before {you may check out my review here} so I know that they have earth-friendly and good quality castile soaps and oils.

Casa de Lorenzo sent me a bottle each of these variants for review purposes. These liquid soaps are in amber-colored bottles, which help protect the quality of the soaps they contain. Why castile soaps, you ask? The name is from the Castile region of Spain where these Olive Oil-based soaps originated from.

More intrigued with Casa de Lorenzo’s Coffee Dark Castile Soap, I tried it the next day after receiving my package. This natural soap variant is made from organic ingredients like Olive Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, and combined with local ground coffee beans. It’s coffee scent is reminiscent of the local kapeng barako and the invigorating aroma wafts into the bathroom as I pour a small amount onto my shower puff. Mind you, these castile soaps aren’t as soapy as regular soaps as they do not contain thickening agents so you might want to put more onto your shower puff for more lather, which is what I did exactly! As expected, this castile soap variant comes in a very dark brown shade, but surprisingly it does not leave even a hint of stain on my shower puff and the dark tint washed off immediately after rinsing. The soap does not leave a long-lasting coffee scent on the skin, either.

Casa de Lorenzo Coffee Dark Castile Soap is ideal for those once-a-week pampering, relaxing and luxurious baths that are sure to be a delight to the senses.

Why I love the Coffee Dark Castile Soap?