In this time and age, perhaps the most important things that a human being should have are not only exclusive on food, water, and clothing; even mobile phones have been regarded as a basic need. If you’ll take a look at the figures, almost 80% of the world’s population is now a mobile phone user. The limitations of connecting to one another across all forms of barriers have become a problem of the past. Today, everything is just a tap away.

Because technology is ever-progressing, innovators have found a way to make the mobile device even better by introducing a variety of features to it. With so much advancement, there came the neologism “Smartphone.” It has the capabilities to do almost anything one can think of, provided that it is boosted by the right apps and accessories. Amazing, isn’t it? If you are among the few who still aren’t a smartphone owner, then maybe this is the time to get one now. You can either purchase a device from a physical store or go shopping on an online mobile store like E_cell to take hold of your very own smart device. However, the part of choosing isn’t going to be that easy. Mind you, there are a lot of smartphones out there, giving you a very hard time to make your pick. So, if you are interested enough to buy one, especially if you’re not a techie person, then take heed of these guides for choosing the right smartphone for you when it comes to their operating systems.

1.       Apple iOS (iPhone)

This operating system is basically easy to learn and be familiarized with. It is best suited for newbies, for it is user-friendly. It supports more than 800,000 apps in its App Store that you can choose from. You can be able to modify your handheld device by means of free apps or the ones that come with a price. The thing that isn’t attractive with this iDevice is its battery life. With iPhone5 for example, it can hardly keep up with an all-day usage. You are compelled to bring a portable charger with it if you want a non-stop iPhone experience.

2.       Google’s Android

The most patronized operating system is indubitably the Android. And because of this, you have the option to choose from a number of smartphones that don’t only integrate a touchscreen input method. If you are more of a keypad person, then there is absolutely something out there that runs on Android. And since Android is more widely used, it’s Play Store has more than 1 million apps that are available for download. Furthermore, Google empowers its patrons by enabling them to customize their devices however they want to. On the other hand, having an open source nature for free customization entails more risks. Without much restrictions by the developer, some apps have been found to contain Trojans that cause trouble.

3.       Microsoft Windows 8

Windows may have dominated the PC industry, but it has proven to be frail when it comes to smartphones. Windows 8 is yet to be a mainstay platform because it still has to prove its worth. The user interface of this operating system is radically unique compared with the first two platforms. Since it is Microsoft, apps like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and the like will be fully supported. Given the fact that Windows 8 is a relatively new operating system for smartphones, there aren’t many phones to choose from yet that uses this. So far, Nokia is its strongest partner aside from HTC and a few Samsung devices.

Aside from choosing your preferred operating system, there are also a lot of factors you have to consider in finally picking out a phone from the shelves or from online stores. The decision is solely up to you, although I’m quite sure that you’ll be able to love the one that you’ll be choosing no matter what brand it is or platform it possesses.

Dizzy. That is exactly what I feel whenever I hear rumors of new gadgets and technologies that are about to take the world by storm in the coming year. I have every reason to feel that way, because I remember when I was still in college, I can enumerate all the phone models of all the phone companies in the world. But now, the list is longer than ever. I haven’t enjoyed the latest gadget yet, there is already a new one next in line.

Yes I do enjoy trying out these latest gadgets, and at the time of writing, we are again bombarded with the rumors and leakages of the next generation smartphones that will definitely make noise once officially announced. Allow me to give you a glimpse.

HTC ONE

                Sporting a sleek and modern design, the HTC One is never a weakling in terms of features and specs. What really makes me drool all over this smartphone is its 89GB supported memory coupled with its next generation Quad-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz. And not only that, if you love music, this phone is the one most fitted for your vice. The HTC One is armed with exclusive built-in Beats audio. Nothing but the best and superior audio experience for you, with an iconic Beats mobile earphones.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

                There are so many rumors about this next flagship smartphone for Samsung. The good news is, all speculations will be over comes the official launching in the Big Apple this March 14, 2013. Although news say that it will be equipped with an Eight-core processor, a first in the world. I can only imagine how flawless and effortless app running and gaming be in this big time smartphone. Also, it will be adorned with a 13-Megapixel rear camera, and 2-Megapixel front camera. A 2GB RAM will also grace this smartphone making it worthy for a flagship.

Sony Xperia Z

                Waterproof. That one word and feature is the saving grace of this smartphone and made it a step further than the rest. It can withstand being underwater for a whopping 30 minutes. If that wouldn’t make you think twice, I don’t really know what will. This upcoming smartphone from Sony has been breaking the headlines since it was first exposed to the public. It also has a 13-Megapixel camera, 2GB RAM, and a Quad-core Processor. NFC and WiFi direct are just icing on top of the beautiful cake.

                For now, these are the ones making noise in the gadget industry. It wouldn’t actually take a blink before the newer ones will come along. Who knows what features the next generation smartphones would possess? 3D effects? Laser beams? Let’s watch out!

No one wants to be rejected. Rejection of any type, may it be in school, in work, or in relationships, causes so much pain. That feeling gives people the idea to give up on their dreams and aspirations. Even the greatest, most prominent people in the planet experienced rejection. Let’s take Walt Disney as an example. He was fired by a newspaper editor because he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. But look at what he had built—an empire where fantasy becomes a reality. Another is Thomas Edison. He was thought to be too stupid to learn anything by his teachers in his early years. Even as an inventor, he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb until he had finally built one that really worked.

Rejection can be found anywhere, big or small. The thing is to never lose focus and never stop trying. Because once you stopped, then you won’t be able to reach anywhere. If ever you felt rejected, and think like it’s the end of the road for you, then read the tips below to conquer your fears of again being a victim of rejection.

1.       Acknowledge that you were rejected. Don’t divert your attention to other things just to shrug off the fact that you were rejected. Splurge not on the latest gadgets just to forget the feeling of rejection. Face it. You may not be aware, but the rejection you let pass may haunt you in ways you don’t expect.

2.       Feel the hurt. It’s normal to feel bad because you were rejected. Let the hurt sink in, but remember that you don’t need to linger on the pain. Desensitize yourself with the hurt until it hurts no more. Feel it initially and let it go eventually.

3.       Don’t take it personally. It’s not your fault. Don’t be too hard on yourself for being rejected. Different people have different preferences. It just so happened that they did not see what they want to see in you. Don’t let it bring you down. This may be a sign for you to better yourself.

4.       Run to friends and family. Having someone to share your hurt helps a lot. Even if they won’t say a word, their mere presence is comforting enough.

5.       Maintain your focus. Think “maybe next time will be my time”. Give yourself credit for trying. Focus on your strengths rather than focusing on your weaknesses. Or better yet, turn your weaknesses into your strengths. Don’t give up on your dreams because you were rejected once or twice. Remember, it took Thomas Edison 1000 failed attempts to come up with a working light bulb.

6.       Learn from the experience. Take note that being rejected is just a phase. It may be an experience for you to grow even better and rethink your perspectives in life. Note what needs to be improved with yourself in your smartphone so you can easily check what needs to be done.

7.       Feel free to try again. Familiar about the law of attraction? This means that what you think, you attract into your life. If you invite positive thoughts, there is a big chance that those will come to fruition. Don’t hold back for you might miss a lot of things just because of your fear of being rejected again.

Everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason you were rejected today is because there is something better waiting for you tomorrow. Just don’t be afraid to try again. As Thomas Edison once said, “genius is one percent inspiration, ninety nine percent perspiration.” It means that great accomplishments are born out of hard work—that with dedication sans fear of rejection.

Punctuation marks are symbols that make written language structurally sound and organized. Perhaps others don’t mind using punctuations properly for as long as they can get what they want to say to the other person. Be wary because misguided use of punctuations may denote a different meaning when used in pure written communication that may cause confusion.

In the age where smartphones are ubiquitous and are indispensable accessories to every human being, people started taking proper use of punctuations for granted. Sometimes you see even misspelled words due to the practice that people make everything short as possible. To refresh your memory on the proper use of punctuations, read what’s below.

End marks (Period, Question Mark, and Exclamation Point)

·         Used to end sentences; e.g. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Comma (,)

·         Used to separate words or phrases in a list; e.g. The mobile back case for your mobile phone comes in red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

·         Used before a coordinating conjunction when joining independent clauses; e.g. He seems to be doing well in Math and in English, but he is failing Science.

·         Used before and after an insertion; e.g. Lucy, the manager, is admired because of her witty personality and her sexy figure.

Semi-colon (;)

·         Used to join independent clauses without coordinating conjunctions, e.g. Think about what you did; don’t just leave the room without learning your lesson.

·         Used to join independent clauses where the second begins with a conjunctive adverb, e.g. Sheldon considers pizza his favourite dish; however he loves fried chicken and spaghetti, too.

·         Used when items in a series contain commas; e.g. The contestants are Ms. Ling, from China; Ms. Moreau, from France; Ms. Trinidad, from Brazil; and Ms. Henderson, from Canada.

Colon (:)

·         Used to introduce a list; e.g. Buy these in the grocery: a bottle of Worcestershire sauce, a pound of sugar, a pack of menthol cigarettes, and a can of mushroom soup.

·         Used to indicate that what follows is an explanation or elaboration of the former statement; e.g. There is only one solution to your problem: accept the truth and move on with your life.

Hyphen (-)

·         Used to divide a word at the end of a line.

·         Used in compound adjectives; e.g. long-distance relationship, Spider-man.

Single Quotation (‘)

·         Used to indicate possession (apostrophe); e.g. Johnny’s dog won the pet show and garnered many admirers.

·         Used to denote contraction; e.g. can’t, don’t, won’t

Double Quotation (“)

·         Used to enclose a direct quotation; e.g. He said, “Get out of my life!”