I am sticking up with Windows Vista. Why? The reasons are simple; it is more stable and with extreme security. Windows Vista has a better file handling capability making it more stable. Talking about security, Windows Vista SP1 has fewer the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP. It’s also 60 percent less likely to be infected by spyware or malware than Windows XP SP2. Windows Vista is the most secure Windows release to date. It comes with built in Window Defender unlike Windows XP where it is downloaded from Microsoft website.

Some folks had said that Windows Vista is not good since it does not support much hardware and devices. This is fallacy, Windows Vista now supports 77,000 printers, cameras, speakers and other devices and components—more than double the number supported at launch. The supported number of devices is still increasing.

It was merely 5 months of using the Windows Vista Home Premium and I am impressed so much by its feature. Now, instead of changing the system to Windows XP, I am planning to upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. If I am impressed by Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, for sure it will be doubled with Windows Vista Ultimate.

With Windows Vista Ultimate, you get a free customer support. There is a Windows Vista Small Business Assurance Program created by Microsoft to provide free support, compatibility assistance and one-on-one coaching from the company to keep your experience with Windows Vista smooth. You can talk directly with their customer executives over the phone if you have Windows Vista Ultimate or Vista Business installed. This free support over phone is valid only from July 1 to September 30.

Now, if you are looking for a tool that can help boom your business right away then you should certainly go with Windows Vista. What more can you ask for?

The following paragraph describes the setting of the story which dramatizes the theme focused in this paper.

There was not a house in sight. Along the left side of the road lean the deep, dry gorge of a stream, the banks sparsely covered by sun-burned cogon grass. In places, the rocky, waterless bed showed aridly. Farther, beyond the shimmer of quivering heat waves rose ancient hills not less blue than the cloud-palisaded sky. On the right stretched a land waste of low rolling dunes. Scattered clumps of hardy ledda relieved the otherwise barren monotony of the landscape. Far away he could discern a thin indigo line that was the sea. (Arguilla, “Midsummer,” 1933)

I chose to elaborate on the theme, “Universality of Love.” Arguilla’s skillful description of the setting provides appropriate background in this story. The contrast brought about by the bareness of the landscape and the vigor of the characters which he compares with the “quivering heat waves” magnifies his point. The use of person deixies (pronouns) exophorically and the common nouns, man and woman gives the impression of universality.

Literary critic, Bienvenido Lumbera, asserts that “Midsummer” is “fashionably ‘modern’ in the spareness of its plot, creating a problem for one who would extract values from the text.” Other critics view Arguilla’s story as “modern” through the way the writer gives life to the dead and barren landscape. However, I don’t see any contrast between the character of the young girl and the image of a perfect woman during the Spanish Colonial Period as exemplified by Rizal’s Maria Clara in “Noli Me Tangere.” The descriptions of the young woman in the story could be misconstrued as development in the struggle of Filipino women who refused the indoctrination of the abusive friars of the colonial times. The seemingly sexual advances initiated by the girl whose “single bodice instantly clang to her bosom molding the twin hillocks of her breasts…” “…not once having raised her eyes, she passed by the young man…”, “He was half through with his meal, when the girl came down the path once more” and others, are mere manipulations of the narrator.

Reading closely, Arguilla’s “Midsummer” shows no regard of the historical realities of the time when the story was written. Indeed, love as a universal feeling which gives no account of particulars or standard, a universality that carries very rich implications is successfully shown.

Linguistic approach could provide a new perspective on the concept of universality. I used Aileen Salonga’s six categories of speech representation which include: Narrative Report Action (NRA), Narrative Report of Speech Act (NRSA), Indirect Speech (IS), Free Indirect Speech (FIS), Direct Speech (DS), and Free Direct Speech (FDS). The whole story is predominantly NRA with maximum control from the narrator. Thus sexually inclined behaviors of the young characters are based on the writer’s perception of their actions.

During the conversation between the young man and woman, the speech of representation category switched from NRA to FDS as follows:

“Won’t you join with me, Ading,” he said simply. He remained seated.

Her lips parted in a half smile and a little dimple appeared high upon her right cheek. She shook her head and said: “God reward you, Manong.”

“Perhaps the poor food I have is not fit for you?”

“No, no. It isn’t that. How can you think of it? I should be ashamed. It is that I have must eaten myself. That is why I came to get water in the middle of the day – we ran out of it. I see you have eggs and shrimps and sugar. Why, be nothing but rice and salt.”

“Salt? Surely you joke.”

“I would be ashamed…”

“But what is the matter with salt?”

“Salt…salt…Makes baby stout,” he intoned. “My grandmother used to sing that to me when I complained of our food.”

Both of them are true and straightforward, yet, their conversation reveals politeness. “Surely you joke” or “But what is the matter with salt?” is an admission of the negative implication of having mere “rice and salt” for meal, likewise, “My mother used to sing that to me…” The absolute social deictics, “Manong” and “Ading” used by the characters contribute to the consistency of the setting.

In the last section, Arguilla again switched to DS which shows certain control of the narrator on the conversation of the characters. The story ends with fruitfulness which is evident in the positive development that occurred between the young man and woman in the following:

…More than ever he was conscious of her person. She carries the jar on her head without holding it. Her hands swung to her ever steps. He drew his square shoulders, lifted his chin, and sniffed the motionless air. There was a flourish in the way he flicked the rump of the bull with the rope in his hand. He felt strong. He felt very strong. He felt that he could follow the slender, lithe figure to the end of the world.

On the feminist perspective, subversion has not been attained by the woman. The young woman has to survive with only “rice and salt” in contrast with the young man’s “rice, egg, salt, brown sugar and dried shrimps.” In fact, she feels bad and hardly expressed it as shown by the writer’s use of ellipsis in “I would be ashamed…” She still treated low and deprived as any marginalized woman in the society.

Almost all fields of life were served by the development of technology- transportation, communication, health, leisure, finances and more. When it comes to finances, technology—through efficient banking system and services—has given people superior alternatives and options in managing fiscal maters. Among the so many financial management schemes that are made possible by technology, one shows superiority—the credit card.

Credit card has become an ultimate financial rescuer to working people whose lives are very busy. Credit card has transformed the way people spend their funds, it’s far more than just an add-on to expensive purses and wallets. Possessing credit cards had been a status symbol for people but more than the glamour and the convenience credit cards bring, there is much more to this card than most people could ever imagine.

As what is said in the previous article Useful Insights in Applying for a Credit Card, a long list of pros and cons can be sited when you apply for a credit card. But before indulging much into these never-ending lists, it is very important for people to first have a thorough understanding of what a credit card really is in order to maximize its potential.

In a straightforward explanation, credit card is a card that let a person to make purchases up, without having cash, to the limit set by the card issuer. A pay off in the balance in installment basis must then be made with interest payments. Credit card payment per month varies from the least amount set by the bank to entire outstanding balance. The longer the credit card holder waits to pay off the entire amount of credit, the more interest is charged to his or her account.

In layman’s term having credit card is simple as lending money and paying it off with interest, and it means a responsibility. Since it’s a legal responsibility, only those people who are of legal age and have the capability to pay off the amount they are going to spend through their credit card, is allowed to have one. In fact, most of the adults in Europe and in the United States use credit card because of its convenience, rather than to carry cash or checks every time they have to purchase something they used credits cards for this purpose.

To avoid having a nightmare of debt, it’s very important to be acquainted with the different types of credit cards before beginning to build up credit card balances. Since credit cards are vital to most consumers, it is a must that they understand the types of card that include retail cards, charge cards, gold cards , bankcards, and secured cards. It is wise to note that whatever type of credit card it is, it always come in one of two interest rate options—the fixed and variable. The truth is it doesn’t really matter if you decide to have a fixed-rate credit card because the interest rate remains the same. Fixed-rate carry higher interest rate compared to variable rate cards where rate may be subject to change depends upon the credit card issuer’s discretion. Normally, credit card grantors issue three types of accounts with basic account agreements like the “revolving agreement” a.k.a. Typical Credit Card Account which allows the payer to pay in full monthly or prefer to have partial payments based on outstanding balance. On the other hand, the Charge Agreement requires the payer to pay the full balance monthly so they won’t have to pay the interest charges, while the Installment Agreement asks the payer to sign a contract to repay a fixed amount of credit in equal payments in definite period of time. Another category of credit card accounts includes the individual and joint accounts where the former asks the individual alone to repay the debt while the latter requires the partners responsible to pay. The familiar types of credit cards available through banks and other financial institutions also include Standard Credit Cards like Balance Transfer Credit Cards and Low Interest Credit Cards; Credit Cards for Bad Credit like Secured Credit Cards and Prepaid Debit Cards; Credit Cards with Rewards Programs like Airline Miles Credit Cards, Cash Back Credit Cards and Rewards Credit Cards; and Specialty Credit Cards like Business Credit Cards and Student Credit Cards.

Indeed there are various types of credit card and now that you have an idea how many types of credit card there is, it is now time to review your goals before applying for one. As what was discussed the previous article that one must have reasons in applying for a credit card. These goals and reasons must be your basis in choosing the type of credit card you will be availing. There are things you should considers in choosing the right credit card, one important aspect is how will you spend with the credit card monthly, if you plan to carry a balance at the end of the month, how much are you willing to pay in annual fees, if you have a strong credit history and is does your credit in need of rehabilitation. Once you have an idea of what you are looking for select the right credit card for you by doing an in-depth research on the information you need that will fit your basic needs. It’s an advantage to review the credit cards you have research and compare them. These will allow you to way the pros and cons of the different credit card types and will give you more chances of getting the right credit card for you.

Regardless of the type of credit card you choose, it is a must that you realize the benefits of having a credit card like safety, valuable consumer protections under the law, and the accessibility and availability of services. It’s best to discuss your specific financial needs with your financial advisor or accountant before applying for any credit card. The most popular credit cards include First Premier Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank, Bank of America, BankOne, Visa Credit Cards, American Express, Discover® Card, Advanta, HSBC Bank, and MasterCard Credit Cards.

Credit card holders must be aware that credit card may trigger a person’s thirst for material things and may lead into the temptation of buying something that is not of necessity. A credit card owner should always bear in mind that having a credit card is a big responsibility. If it’s not use carefully, one may have debt more than what he/she could really pay. It damages credit report, which, create credit problems that are quite difficult to repair. Just a tip of advice: be always vigilant and wise in using your credit card if you have one or if you are planning to have one.

Finance, specifically money, is a major concern of the consumers. With this, wide choices of financial management services and financial options are readily available. A common among these services and options is the credit card.

A lot of people say about the financial convenience one may enjoy when availing of the credit card, but, it doesn’t connote that every financing convenience applies for everyone.

One thing you should consider in applying for a credit card is that you must have reasons. These reasons may include managing funds, having extra money or in grounding for a bigger disbursement. Whatever reasons one have, people apply for a credit card because of the definitive ease it brings. Probably now, you may have had a “pre-approved” credit card offers in your mailing addresses, be it virtual or your physical address. Some credit card issuers tempt people by giving low introductory APR or what is referred to as the annual percentage rate. People are very vulnerable when they apply for a credit card that some even have no annual fee, this is just one among numerous perks offered by credit card companies. The trend is to convince the person who wants top apply for a credit card.

A long list of pros and cons can be sited when you apply for a credit card, but if you are sure to apply for a credit card, the following tips might help you on your credit card shopping venture.

Do some intensive research on credit cards. Surf the net and exert effort in researching on credit cards. With this, you are making yourself acquainted with different credit card terms and types. By making research, you would also be able to compare numerous credit cards that would suit your needs best. After doing these steps, you may now apply for a credit card of your choice by filling out a credit card application, of course, by visiting a bank representative or you may also apply online.

Mastering the credit card terms will help you easily find the right credit card. This is the first thing you should put into consideration. Be sure you know what a credit card really is when you apply for it. Credit cards usually have underlying terms and conditions since it is a form of lending that involves charges; take in mind that this affects your overall cost. It’s wise to compare the terms and fees before applying for a credit card. APR is one of the terms one should understand thoroughly. APR should be disclosed before you apply for a credit card so that you would not be put obligated on your account statements later on. You must have enough knowledge on how the APR affects your credit account. Not only APR should be put into consideration but periodic rate must be also be very clear to card holder before they avail completely for a credit card so that they have an idea of their outstanding balance and finance charge in every billing period. There are also other significant terms one must put into account such as grace period, yearly fees, transaction fees and many more. Applying for a credit card really needs research on important terms and conditions that are involve with it. If you are not the kind who loves to do researches then just be sure that you will understand well the explanation of the card issuer, even the smallest detail of the terms and conditions of availing the credit card. If you have done these, then the credit card is ready to set in the palm of your hands.

The Nokia E71 is the successor of the popular Nokia E61 & E61i. Nokia had shrunken the E71 to just 57mm compare to E61i 70mm and trimmed it down to an amazingly 10mm thickness, an almost 4mm less thicker than E61i with 13.9mm

The display screen looks very sharp, which got narrower a bit at 2.36 inches (320×240 pixels) from 2.8″ with the E61. If there had to be a bit negative about Nokia E71, I say it’s going to be the keyboard, the QWERTY keyboard with the keys a little too crowded. However, it’s not bad at all since the keys more embossed so the user don’t easily hit neighboring keys. Another thing is that the number keys are at the center so you can easily type in single-handed. A fingernail-oriented user would feel more comfortable rather than thumb-oriented with the E71. The keys are enhanced by a nice back lighting which makes them very easy to read. The actual keys don’t actually light up but just the letters and symbols, which contribute to its clean and sexy exterior. Professional Design Trim and fitted with a full keyboard, Nokia E71 is impeccably tailored for business on the move.

The E71 features a business centric connectivity. The E71 includes A-GPS function, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, a microSD slot where you can add in an 8 GB of storage, a 110MB of built-in memory. Although the internal memory of 110MB is a little small considering the E51 has 130MB, but a dedicated 128MB RAM and ARM 11 369 MHz processor makes the phone woks express. There’s also plenty of software to take benefit for the quite-mature S60 platform. Really designed as a business device, the E71 comes with a full complement of office, email and PIM software, including a feature to switch on the fully between business and personal accounts, complete with separate mailboxes and home screens. It has two home screens that will allow you to choose between work and leisure modes. It enables you to choose application shortcuts to suit your schedule with message notifications on or off. The fast and easy access to messaging, including business and personal mail, without the complexity is a commendable feature of the Nokia E71.

However, one thing also that is not given much consideration with the NOKIA E71 is the 3.15 megapixel camera (2048×1536 pixels). The autofocus needs to be manually toggled each time you take the shot, a press on the “t” or “4″ key is necessary. Moreover, a dedicated camera button on the side is not available too, so one needs to use the middle button to take photos and videos. Video quality is limited to its maximum output at 15fps; nevertheless, a secondary front-facing camera for video calls is available.

Just as the E61 and E61i, the E71 houses a single speaker in the upper left of the phone. The audio quality is decent and sound volume is good. MPEG4 video playback is even and 3D tone is supported.

Choosing over many phones one will consider the battery life. With NOKIA E71, there should be no concern since it is fine. The BP-4L lithium polymer is rated at 1500 mAh. Nokia estimates a talk time of 10.5 hours. That’s pretty quite good. And turning off Wi-Fi scanning, one conserves more battery life.

With all these features, NOKIA E71 is considered one of the highly noticeable phones released in the market, a smartphone with smart simplicity!