Official Statement From TopBlogs.com.ph

We would like to apologize for the incident which occured today affecting our partner blogger's websites. We take these issues very seriously. The following is a report of what happened:

Today April 28, 2014 . We received reports of malware notices occurring across our website. We also received reports that this was affecting our blogger's websites also.

After investigating the issue we found that the open source software we use for serving our ads, OpenX, was hacked into and malicious javascript code was inserted. This code appeared only on the Topblogs.com.ph webpages and not on our partner blogger's websites. Unfortunately with the way that Google's Malware warning system works, any site using javascript code from our site that got infected also gets a warning, thus the warning cascaded down to the websites of our partner bloggers.

We have already removed the OpenX software from our website and requested Google to remove the Malware notice.

The malware notices will start to disappear after 24 hours. If you are a partner blogger using the TopBlogs code, you may remove it for now until the malware notices have cleared. We would like to reiterate, in now way was our user database compromised nor the actual TopBlogs code that is used by our partner bloggers. Our ad serving software was the one that was compromised.

Thank you,

Andre

TopBlogs.com.ph

Shapes

A little fun shoot at Canonoy Beach Resort

Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Philippines

HOW TO PISS OFF A GRAPHIC ARTIST

I’ve been working in a printing industry as a graphic/layout artist for almost two years (Sounds newbie, right?). My creations are usually for large formats. I am not a genius graphic artist, like others who can just draw in a scratch of paper then scan it and do it in Illustrator then BOOM! It’s ‘digital’.

I am a person who knows how to look if the layout is a good looking, just okay, or unattractive (unpleasant or unacceptable to my eyes).

There are so many articles in the internet like this one. Just type in google ‘How to piss off Graphic Artist’, then read some of it. It is so funny to read. I can relate so much, so I created my own version to share my experience as a 2-year-old graphic artist.

So here’s the list.

1. Size – Ask him to create a large format design. For example it is for a panaflex printing. And then he will ask you what size. You are going to answer him like this one… “Uhmmm something like this (then open your arms), maybe the width is three of this”. Then he will assume that what you mean is three yards. Do not give the height. Wait him to ask you then you will answer “I don’t know. What you think?”

Other tips: Do not give him the size in inches, centimeters or millimeters. It will be very convenient for him. Try giving him in yards or feet so that he will waste his time converting the size in inches, centimeters or millimeters.

2. Contents – After discussing the size, the graphic/layout artist will ask what to put on. Then you will answer him… ”This is just an easy job. Nothing much. Make it simple. Just the name of my company and then the logo”. (You must sound like you are an expert graphic artist too and that you are better than him)

3. File Formats – The artist will ask you the file of your logo. This is it!

Scenario #1: Give him the printed one (which you made in ms word) and make it untidy before giving him (A lot of folds are better). The artist will accept it because he can repair it and make it high resolution. But of course you will demand that you want some changes in your logo and you don’t like the old one. And you want him to make it 3D. And this will drop his jaw for sure.

Scenario #2: If you give him the printed logo he will not accept it. He will ask you the original file. He will explain it to you that what he will need is the jpg format, the one that you inserted in ms word. Then you will answer him that you don’t have the jpg file and you have no contact to person who created your logo. And you can tell him that you found the logo in the header of the company’s letter.

Other Tips: When inserting the logo in the document. Resize it. Make it smaller and don’t forget to unlock the ratio of the image. For example, if your logo is circle, do not lock the ratio so that your logo will now have an oval shape.

4. The Final Output – After 24 hours the artist will send to you his finish output. But then you will ask some more designs or options. And then eventually you will choose the first option.

5. The 3D Effects – Remember the Number 3, Scenario #1, you asked him to make your logo in 3D. And then he will answer his common alibi that he didn’t do it because it will take time. But actually what you mean is that you want some Bevel Effects.

6. Font Style – If the artist used the Helvetica or Century Gothic font, tell him to change it into Comic Sans. For bonus, ask him to make it bold and a little black stroke to make it bolder so that it's readable.

7. Maximized – There is a lot of white spaces. You are paranoid that the font size is not readable. So you will tell the artist to maximize the space.  And if you are not happy you will take the mouse and you are the one that will stretch the text and the logo.

8. Resolution – Demand a 600 dpi. This will slow his computer.

9. Color – He thinks ‘white and blank’ is elegant, tell him it’s boring! If he suggests 3 colors, say NO. Choose as many as you like.

10. Chit-chatting – Tell him some stories. Like about your latest achievements in your life. Ask him what version of Adobe Photoshop he is using. Then suggest some higher version and tell him to get rid of his version.

Ready for Summer!

Summer Summer Summer!!!!

Woooooh!

'Flappy Bird' to shutdown

Flappy Bird, a mobile game that has taken the world by storm, will be removed by its creator Dong Nguyen in less than 22 hours. He says the removal has nothing to do with legal issues, and he’s not planning to sell Flappy Bird but will continue making games.

The announcement is a surprise, considering it came just a day after a new game update that included new birds and UI tweaks. Flappy Bird has been downloaded over 50 million times and is making about US$50,000 in ad revenue a day. It works very simply: players navigate a bird through a series of pipes by tapping repeatedly on the screen. The game has drawn widespread praise but also scorn. Some critics allege that he has employed bots to boost the game’s standings in the Apple App Store.

When asked about these criticisms, Nguyen told a Newsweek reporter on Twitter: “It doesn’t matter. Don’t you think? If I did fake it, should Apple let it live for months?”

Flappy Bird has even inspired a parody, aptly named ‘Squishy Bird’.

While the exact reason for the removal is unclear, he hinted that it may have been due to the media attention he’s getting. He tweeted: “Press people are overrating the success of my games. It is something I never want. Please give me peace.”

Article from Tech in Asia (by: Terence Lee)

Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead. So what will happen to Mockingjay I and II?

I know all of you, Hunger Games fans, are devastated to what happened to Philip Seymour Hoffman. And all of you are now questioning to what will happen to the Mockingjay I and II without Mr. Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee. So here's the answer from The Wall Street Journal.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death Sunday will not impact the scheduled release of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” Parts 1 and 2 in November of 2014 and 2015 and will require only modest rewriting, according to a person close to the production.

Mr. Hoffman, who played games-master-turned-rebel Plutarch Heavensbee, had finished shooting virtually all of his scenes for Part 1 save for one in which he did not play a significant role, the person said.

For Part 2, he had about a week left of shooting, including one scene that will have to be written with a different character taking the spot of Plutarch Heavensbee.

Because most of Mr. Hoffman’s scenes were complete, director Francis Lawrence and his team are said to be confident they can complete filming without the character or the films being substantially changed.

“The Hunger Games” was a rare turn in a major studio franchise for Mr. Hoffman, who acted in low budget independent movies for most of his career.

In a statement, “Hunger Games” studio Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. called Mr. Hoffman “one of the most gifted actors of our generation” and said “we’re very fortunate that he graced our ‘Hunger Games’ family.”

"Kuya Vhong?I WAS STILL PRAY FOR YOU...I WAS STILL PRAY FOR YOU" - Deniece Cornejo during her interview at StarTalk.

Okay na sana eh...okay na ang drama...medyo may effect ang emote niya. Kaso yung sa huling sabi niya...natawa ako. Hahahahaha

"Kuya Vhong?I WAS STILL PRAY FOR YOU...I WAS STILL PRAY FOR YOU"

Tinagalog nalang sana. hehe