Firefly Aurii Secret 4G by Firefly Mobile - Review

Update - July 20, 2017

After 8 months of use, the screen all the sudden went blank and started overheating. I tried several times to restart but it refused to be functional, it would continue to boot but there would be no display.  I went to the stall where I bought it, they opened the back panel and checked it out. They suggested to bring the unit to Firefly Mobile Service Center located at Compex, 341 GBW Building Quezon Ave, Tel# 354-4227, 354-8162, left my defective Firefly Aurii Secret 4G to John Daniel Francisco. Will wait for their advise. 

Update - July 22, 2017
Got a call from John Daniel Francisco, they said my unit was tampered and they cannot honor the warranty,  explained to them that I have never opened my phone since the day it was bought, but I do recall buying the phone from an unsealed box. I explained to them that I was careful and never opened the phone since the date of purchase. John Daniel Francisco made it seem that I was lying and said the phone was tampered.  I asked for the manager, Berverly Manitane, she said that she can't honor the warranty because it has been tampered. How can it be tampered if it was Firefly that opened my phone in the first place. My experience with Firefly Mobile officially became a nightmare. The problem was with the board and the LCD, which will cost Php5,000 to replace. Thats a joke...

I take everything back; I will not recommend buying this phone or any of Firefly Mobile lineup again. 

Its been a wonderful phone since Nov'16, but I guess its true what they say about Firefly Mobile, its really disposable.  I never had any problems with my Cherry Mobile units so Firefly Mobile takes the cake. Hopefully my experience is different from yours, maybe the service center refused to honor the warranty because of their fiscal issue; their mentality is probably "Why replace a Php5,000 board for free, if we can say that the customer broke the seal and make the consumer pay for it."  I guess a small fry like me don't matter to companies like theirs, but I believe in KARMA, thats all I can say for now. I could try to escalate the problem to the higher ups, but what is the point... I will try to consult DTI to see if they can help, but do you think the inconvenience can weight against the outcome of a broken phone?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is my hand's on semi review of Firely's Aurii Secret 4G - LTE, I got mine for Php 5,999 ($123) and comes with a free jelly case and tempered glass.

(Standard 1.5A Charger, Headset, and Free SIM)

This  new phone features an aluminum frame, 5-inch HD display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, as well as an unspecified 1.3GHz octa-core processor, 16GB of expandable storage and 3GB of RAM. The official specs are indicated below.

• 1.3GHz octa-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• 5-inch IPS OGS HD display, 1280 x 720 resolution
• 16GB of expandable storage
• 13-megapixel rear camera Sony IMX258 with f/2.0 aperture
• 8-megapixel front camera f/2.2 aperture
• Dual SIM
• 4G LTE, 3G
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• 3450mAh battery
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Initial Impressions: This is a heavy, solid and sturdy phone.

The overall built of the phone is impressive, the aluminum frame feels good and it has that premium feel to it. If you`re used to light plastic phones, this phone might not be suitable for you. Its quite heavy. I owned a Cherry Mobile Flare S3 Power with a 4200Mah and this beast is heavier than that. I am not complaining, but just a heads-up for those who might think this is a light phone.

Display: 5 inch IPS OGS HD Display, 1280x720 - 294ppi

The screen is quite impressive as well, the images are bright and with its 10 point touch capability I didn`t have problems txting. I have big hands and navigating through the menu was seamless. I had problems with my Flare S3 Power when it comes to txting, but this phone was easier and faster to use. 

Music/Sound: Mediocre, but its gets the job done. 

At first glance, I thought this phone features stereo output, but to my dismay only 1 speaker output works. It sounds a little thin when it comes to playing music utilizing its native speakers. I compared the output from my Flare S3 Power and the Aurii Secret lacks the bass and strength. The Flare S3's native speaker output was louder than the Aurii's. However, using headphones is a different story. The lows and highs are good even with the stock headset that came with it. 

Camera: The Sony IMX258 f/2.0 aperture

The Sony IMX258 sensor is an upgrade from  the popular Sony IMX214, without going into technicalities the camera on the Aurii Secret is really impressive. The shutter speed is fast and images are crisps. Its wide angled lenses can capture good images in low light and good light. 

Battery Life 

Usability: Very Responsive, but No LED indicators

The Firefly Aurii Secret 4G gets the job done when making phone calls, browsing, txting, and taking pictures. One thing I didn't like is the lack of LED indicators. I know its a small thing but having LED indicator would've been cool knowing you're fully charged, missed a call, and when a txt message arrives. The strong selling point of the Aurii Secret 4G is its CAMERA, PROCESSING SPEED and RESPONSIVE USABILITY.

Cat Digs out of its own grave after being assumed dead

They say cats have nine lives but when Ellis Huston's beloved Bart was hit by a car in Florida he thought his pet's time was definitely up.

The incident was so bad that Bart was assumed to be dead and Ellis buried him in his garden.

But a few days later the cat turned up in front of a neighbor's house - alive.

Ellis said that he was sure he was dead and has no explanation for what happened.

 

It's thought Bart regained consciousness after being hit before digging himself out of the ground and hiding for a few days.

When the cat was found, he was taken to a vet.

Bart is now recovering and back to his owner. 

PPAP Pen Pineapple Apple Pen

He's Japanese, contrary that people thought he was from Thailand.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

Blackberry ® will stop making Blackberry Devices

After 17 years of being in the mobile market, the company has announced to stop making its own devices. The company decided that it  will focus and prioritize its software development. 

The company's financial foundation is strong and they see that the switch of strategy will benefit the company's future.

Vice President Jejomar Binay received billions of pesos in kickbacks

PHOTO by LYN RILLON

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay denies the charges of graft, falsification of public documents and violations of procurement law.

His political party UNA (THE UNITED Nationalist Alliance ) dismissed and called the  report  as “outdated” by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) published by the Inquirer that said Vice President Jejomar Binay received billions of pesos in kickbacks from infrastructure projects in Makati City to fund his campaign in 2010.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor on Thursday filed charges of graft or violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, falsification of public documents or violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, and violation of the Government Procurement Act or Republic Act 9184 against the former vice president, who lost his presidential bid in the recent May 9 elections.

The Binays awarded the procurement of the design to Mana Architectural and Interior Design (MANA) despite lack of public bidding, the Ombudsman said.

The Binays also allegedly rigged the bidding to favor MANA and approved the release of P11.97-million payment to MANA despite the anomalies.

This 8 year old Boy SMOKED 40 CIGARETTES A DAY

At the age of just 2 years old, Ardi Rizal had a nasty and fatal addiction to cigarettes and the Indonesian boy became famous on the internet back in 2010 when mind boggling stories about his 40-cigarette-a-day habit surfaced in the news.

According to reports from the Mirror, Ardi was able to quit smoking in a rehabilitation program set up by the Indonesian government who presumably felt the blow back of global disgust. Ardi’s smoking habit actually caused such outrage that the government launched a nationwide campaign to end childhood smoking altogether.

Ardi, has proven himself to be a strong willed kid though, and has now successfully kicked his junk food habit too. He now stays away from cigarettes, eats healthy, and the results speak for themselves. He is happier and healthier than he has ever been.

Philippine Mobile Prefixes Updated July 2016

 

List of Mobile Number Prefixes (Globe, Smart, and Sun) 

Globe and Touch Mobile			Smart / Talk n Text / Sun				SUN Cellular
0817	0905	0906	0813	0900	0907	0908	0922	0923
0915	0916	0917	0909	0910	0911	0912	0924	0925
0926	0927	0935	0913	0914	0918	0919	0931	0932
0936	0945	0975	0920	0921	0928	0929	0933	0934
0994	0937	0996	0930	0938	0939	0940	0942	0943
0997	0979	0977	0946	0947	0948	0949	0944
0978	0995 (TM)	0996 (Cherry Mobile)	0950	0989	0998	0999

Abusive drivers with DU30 plates

Rodrigo Duterte's administration ‘DU30’ car plate use won’t be condoned.

The DU30 plates proliferated during the campaign period in support of the presidential bid of the Davao City mayors. LTO officials have repeatedly appealed to car owners to observe the law amid complaints of abuses and other traffic violations.

Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Martin Andanar warned yesterday about an imminent crackdown on abusive car owners, saying the government does not condone the violation of the country’s transportation and traffic laws.

There have been several incidents that motorist use the plates to avoid violations.

2016 Version Of ‘Free Range Rover’ Facebook Scam Spreading in the Philippines

Outline:
Facebook Page claims that it is giving away two Range Rovers for the ‘first time in Facebook history’.

[credit to hoaxslayer]

Brief Analysis:
The Facebook Page is fraudulent and it is certainly not giving away any Range Rovers. It is a scam designed to trick you into spamming your friends with the fake prize post and subscribing to a dodgy SMS ‘competition service’ that will charge you several dollars per text message they send you.

Detailed Analysis:
According to a Facebook Page that is currently being promoted across the network, you can win one of two Range Rovers just by liking the Page, sharing and commenting on a post about the prize, and clicking a ‘Sign Up’ button on the page. The Page claims that this is the first time in Facebook history that such a Range Rover giveaway is occurring. It notes that the ‘winners will be messaged on public’.

However, the Page is fraudulent. No Range Rovers are being given away.  Currently, the main purpose of the fake page is to trick people into subscribing to a very expensive SMS based ‘competition service’

In fact, the Facebook Page is just the latest incarnation of a long running ‘Range Rover giveaway’ scam. Very similar versions were hitting Facebook during 2014 and 2015. The earlier versions also claimed – falsely – to be giving away Range Rovers ‘for the first time in Facebook history’.

By instructing users to share the bogus post and add a comment stating what color car they would like, the scammers ensure that the fraudulent prize offer is spread far and wide across the network. The scammers effectively turn participants into a personal posse of spammers who will very efficiently promote their criminal scheme at no cost. And, during the course of the scam, the fake Facebook Page will also accumulate a great many new Page likes, which will give it much greater reach in the future.

And, if you click the ‘Sign Up’ button as instructed, you will be taken to a ‘prize’ website that is designed to look like it is part of Facebook. The site features a list of ‘offers’ for you to click and claims you must do so within a specified time frame if you want the chance to win. A timer will count down the remaining minutes and seconds for the ‘offer’. Of course, this is just a ruse to trick you into quickly continuing.

No matter which ‘offer’ you click, you will be taken to yet another dodgy webpage that offers the chance to win further prizes for supplying your mobile phone number. But, fine print on the page will explain that, by entering your mobile number, you are actually subscribing to an ongoing SMS ‘competition service’.  Each message sent to you via this ‘service’ will cost you $5. And you may receive several messages per week, so the bill for the subscription can quickly add up. The $5 messages will continue until you unsubscribe from the service.

Even after supplying your phone number and subscribing to the ‘service’, you will still not get to enter the – totally imaginary – Range Rover prize draw.  The scammers who created the fake Range Rover giveaway page will earn commissions each time a person subscribes to the SMS service. Alternative versions of the scam may attempt to trick people into supplying their personal information via dodgy survey websites rather than SMS subscription sites. These survey sites will share the information you supply with site sponsors and third party marketers, so, soon after participating, you will begin receiving unwanted and annoying phone calls, letters, text messages, and emails from various companies. Again, the scammers will receive commissions each time somebody supplies information on one of the survey sites.

Scams like this one continue to be very common on Facebook.  Be very wary of any post or Page that claims that you can win valuable prizes such as cars just by liking, sharing, commenting and participating in offers or surveys.

Dallas: 5 police officers killed by snipers during protest

CNN Reports that 5 police officers killed by snipers during protest.

11 officers shot, 5 killed as of  July 8, 2016 0842 GMT

 

 

 

Early Friday unidentified snipers shot 11 officers, five fatally, during a protest over deadly police shootings of black men elsewhere in the country.

LTO has big problems ahead with plates

LTO: Nearly 4 million plates still not delivered

After the Supreme Court issued a stop order on the distribution of 700,000 license plates that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) turned over to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in April. A lot of vehicle owners in the Philippines expressed dismay as the release of license plates hit yet another setback.

The problem has gotten out of hand, considering that all who registered paid an amount to have their plates renewed. 

People criticized the previous administration for lack of action. Where did our payments go? The citizens were responsible enough to make with payments. 

How to (and not to) take care of a baby human

This one goes out to all the new parents out there. Just a little guide on how to (and not to) take care of a baby. Very funny to read, but must be taken very seriously. You could print the images and bundle them to a little book that you could hold in your pocket just to be sure.