Samsung Galaxy S3 DIY Dock

Hello everybody! Naldo here!

It's been months since I got my Samsung Galaxy S3 and I'm very happy with it. This is my first smart phone btw, so I was surprised that this thing gobbles up battery like crazy!!! At first I thought I got a faulty battery but this seems to be normal with any smart phones.

I charge this phone like everyday and it's just lying around on my desk when I do, so I decided to make a cheap DIY dock. 

Although this dock doesn't activate "Dock mode", you can download apps from the Google store that activates a mock dock mode when Galaxy S3 is connected to a charger or PC.

If you want to learn how to make it, read more below. ↓

Most of the materials I used are recycled. The only thing I bought is the cable which cost only a dollar.

Good thing I have lots of scrap wood at my backyard.

Step 1: Measure the device.

Step 2:  Draw your design. I wanted a tall one that can support the the S3's back while docked. My S3 also has a leather casing so I want a design that can support additional thickness and weight.

Step 3: Measure and cut your wood. As any master wood craftsman would say: Measure twice cut once.

Step 4:  Fit and drill screw holes.

 

Step 5: Assembly

Step 6: It's now time to sand down the rough wood prior to varnish.

Needs to be sanded down more.

The fit is good but this still needs a lot of work. I couldn't wait (hehehe!).

Step 7: Apply Lacquer Sanding Sealer to make the wood super smooth.

Step 8: Wiring. 

Drill a hole on top. The width of the hole depends on the wire you''ll be using. I bought a Php50 (1US$) micro USB to USB data cable. After wiring, I used a non-slip mat to cover the wiring. You can use other materials such as paper or wood as well.

I made sure that the Micro USB connector to the phone can move backward and forward. This way even if I remove or replace my current case the phone's back can sit freely on the back rest.

Backward ←

Forward →

And here it is...charging!

Thanks for viewing!

Life of Pi

This book is a siren and its reader a sailor. To say it's beautifully written is an understatement. It's incredibly heartbreaking... almost haunting even.  Well, I hope you'll take it much lighter than I did. Good luck!

p.s. I wish I didn't laugh so many times. 

Rurouni Kenshin Live Action Movie

Good evening everyone! 15 days to go til the Rurouni Kenshin (a.k.a. Samurai X) live action film. We already have tickets. Yay! So far what we know is that it'll be exclusively shown in selected SM Cinemas. Below is the schedule but it might change so just click here to be sure.

According to SM Cinema, the film will be shown for several days in other SM cinemas as well. It's just that the schedule for the succeeding days is not yet plotted. Please keep visiting their website for schedule updates.

NHK 2013 Calendar

Yay! We got a really nice 2013 Calendar from NHK. 

 It has the most beautiful photographs and below is our favorite: "Even Lions Like Fireworks" by Minoru Yamagiwa. This is probably the most beautiful firework photo there is.

P.S. We finally have internet connection 'xept we settled for wi-fi. It'd take forever to get DSL and we couldn't wait any longer.

               

They're Kind of Funny Stories

This post will be about the most recent books we've read.

If they're about adventures and magic, we'll read them... even if they're for kids.

We're ridiculously busy so we usually go for a "light read", something we can finish in an hour or less. 

Abadazad has colored illustrations in almost every other page....

so it's almost like reading comics. (Almost!)

It's just annoying that words in some pages have double image. 

Sometimes we read serious stuff too like "Out", which we got because it was featured in "Japan Unlocked". Too bad, they don't air the program on NHK WorldTv anymore. Anyway, Out has a sort-of classic feel to it. (Sort-of!)

"Planar Chaos" we borrowed from a friend. Hopefully we see him in December 5 for the Samurai X live action movie so we can return it. Anyway, MTG has the best world ever. We're surprised it hasn't been turned to a movie yet or maybe we don't want that. Some books or games are meant to be left alone, don't you think so too?

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is exactly what it is... but it's also sad. Oh! Oh! It has a movie! 

 That's it for now. Wishing you a great week ahead! :-)

One Piece Jeepney

Are you a One Piece fan? WE ARE!

Valentine's Day 2012

Hello! It's been a while since our last post. It's been crazy-busy lately. The past months, we've dedicated ourselves to pursuing our dreams and indeed things are going great. For now we're just gonna keep to ourselves all the overdue posts/photos and go with the time skip.

We will however share our Valentine's day activity and third year wedding anniversary celebration. We are a happy couple and we hope to inspire other couples who are not much into doing things together. Before anything else, there's a couple of things you need to know about us. First, we don't bother with gifts. Instead, we think of activities. Nothing beats wonderful memories that you can cherish for a lifetime. Second, our goal is always to not spend so much or not spend at all. Traveling to another country or going to a fancy restaurant is too simple for us. We like to take the challenge of coming up with something that makes every year unique for us. It does not necessarily have to be something Phineas and Ferb would do, just have to be something we don't do everyday.

This year's Valentine's Day, we did FACE PAINTING.

materials:

1.stopwatch or any clock

2. face paint

3. wet wipes (for erasures) ;D

4. mirror (to be covered until after the artwork is done)

5. camera

mechanics:

1. We covered all the mirrors or any reflective surface in the house. No one was allowed to see either faces until the face artwork is done.

2. Once everything was set, we faced each other and gave three minutes or so to think of a drawing. It was a little bit romantic in a way because we were just staring at each other's faces.

2. After planning, we started painting. We took turns. And just so one doesn't spend more time than the other, we took turns every minute. It was also a lot of fun that way.

3. It took us probably more than an hour or so to finish each other's face art. We thought it would be shorter than that but we were having too much fun.

4. Only after the artwork was finished that we looked at the mirror together. We were surprised that our drawings almost had the same details. We had the same idea and that made us feel good about each other.

5. We both loved each other's artwork so much that we almost didn't want to wash our faces. So we took lots and lots of photos.

You can always modify the idea. If you don't like paint on your face, then you can go for something sexy like body painting or something funny like feet painting. (feet painting(?)--- that would be torture! hahahaha!)

That's it. It's really late to say this but hope you guys had a wonderful and memorable Valentine's Day like we did. =) If not, then therés always next year. Remember, Valentine's Day is not just a couple's day. It's for everyone with a heart. Love and be happy.

Will post our third year anniversary celebration soon.

You might also want to check our Valentine's day activity last year here.