Archive for the “Gadgets” category
My friends and I are planning to venture on the currently popular photobooth rentals and we’re scouting for cheap photobooth-capable DSLRs so we went to Hidalgo Street in Quiapo last March. We went there on a Sunday and thoush some of the more famous stores were closed, we still managed to find everything we’re looking for – DSLR, lights, printers and photobooth software.
If you’re in Manila and is looking for cheap cameras, be it a point and shoot or a DSLR, used or brand new, the first place that you should check out is Hidalgo Street in Quiapo. Hidalgo St. is famous among photographers and photo enthusiasts in the Philippines because it’s a haven of cheap cameras in the country. Here you can find an assortment of stores selling cameras priced thousands of pesos lower as compared to the stores found in department stores and specialty shops. Also, some of the camera stores Hidalgo St., offers second hand cameras and even spare parts for vintage and obsolete cameras.
One of the reasons why prices of cameras being sold at stores in Hidalgo St. are way way cheaper is because the cost of commercial space rental in that area is cheaper compared to other places in Manila. Also, most of the shops sell cameras and other items with local or store warranty so you could only have your cameras repaired or replaced on the very same store where you bought them.
To get to Hidalgo, you can take the LRT and hop off at the Carriedo Station. From there, proceed to the old SM clearance outlet and take the east exit. The street right in front of that exit is Hidalgo Street. See the tall abandoned building on the photo above? That’s SM Clearance Outlet and that very street is Hidalgo.
Also, if you’re in front of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), the south-western street is Hildago.
Here’s a link to Hidalgo St., Quiapo from Google Maps.
Call your love ones anywhere in the world with Skype – Unlimited Calls to Landlines.
I don’t know why I didn’t thought of this or why no one tipped me about this while I’m still in China because if I did, I could have saved hundreds and thousands of dollars in calling my wife in the Philippines or my wife calling me in China.
Skype offers unlimited calls from PC to landline or mobile phones in 20 countries in the world for only €8.95/month or approximately $11.50/month. No kidding, this is really true. In fact, since I paid for a month subscription this morning, I have already called my previous Chinese colleagues and friends in China, Chuvachienes in the US, a sister in Japan, a friend in Singapore and I still have a long list of friends and relatives worldwide to call.
Along with this monthly subscription which allows me to make unlimited PC to mobile phones in 20 countries, Skype also allows me to setup three international phone numbers for free. With these international phone numbers, my friends or relatives could dial those phone numbers using their mobile or local phones to connect to my Skype account and they won’t have to pay for extra charge, they’ll be charged the usual call charges like they’re just calling in their neighborhood.
