Pioneer On-Ear S3 Wireless Headphones Blue SES3BTL

I got this headset at a very discounted price thanks to a gift voucher. I choose the blue colour because it looked like a pretty metallic blue and it was the cheapest in the range.

GOOD THINGS.

> Large head band, perfect for both women and men. For females with small heads, the headset tends to slip off a bit when bending.
> The awesome pods rotating system, which allows them to move freely and easily in different angles and adjust to most ears. This also helps the pods to fold flat inside the band, and they can be easily stored and carried.
> The pods cushioning is very comfortable, and they do not press my ears at all.
> Battery life is great, almost two days of generous time with them on.
> Pairing is easily done.
> The quality of the sound is good overall. Decent range and bass.
> If on standby for a while, the headset auto-shuts off, and saves battery life.  
> Good value for money.

 

SO-SO.

> The headset looks and feels cheep and plasticky for a Pioneer.
> I know these aren't meant to be noise-cancelling headphones. However, the volume range is not strong enough to muffle the outside world noises when walking outdoors or while on public transport. 
> Quality of sound and bass is not bad, but I was expecting much more from a Pioneer.
> The charging cable is ridiculously short.
> The top is ridged and hollow as if the padding had to be stuck there but it was never done. Headband has no padding on the top, and it can be uncomfortable to wear if you have the headset on for a while.

 

BAD.

The colour on the packaging and promotional photos isn't the headset true colour.If the headset had been photographed properly I would have not chosen the blue colour heaset. Please, Pioneer masterminds, provide professional photos that reflect the true colour of your products. Otherwise, what's the point?

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Wapa di Ume Resort & Spa (Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

Head photo courtesy of the resort website.

Banjar Bentuyung, Gianyar, Jl. Suweta, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Hotel Website
reservation@wapadiumesidemen.com
+62 361 973178

THE GOOD
> Gorgeous staff. They make the impossible to make you feel welcomed, to help you with any query or wish. Genuine hard-working and friendly people at the reception, as well as the butlers, gardeners, waiters, and cleaners. 
> Large spacious room and bathroom. Comfortable firm mattress and humongous bed! Great set of toiletries with a wonderful scent, suitable for both women and men. 
> Luscious green gorgeous rice terrace surroundings, gardens, fountains, sculptures and decorations throughout the estate. Serene bucolic atmosphere. The main noise you get in the area is that of the frogs, geckos, birds, and crickets and, when it rains, from the rain. You can see the little animals walking around, and it is like being in the countryside with all the comforts of the city. One can unwind and relax. 
> Excellent fast reliable wi-fi. 
> Good satisfying breakfast included in room price. Many options, Western, Indonesian and a la Carte. Delivered to your room if requested. The restaurant is gorgeous, especially on non-rainy days with views to the fields, so it's worth going there. 
> Two bottles of water provided in the room and another two in the bathroom. If you need more, call reception ad they will supply more at no cost. 
> Shuttle to/from Ubud every hour on the clock. 
> Umbrellas provided for each room, as well as sleepers and robes. 
> Gorgeous communal pools, on the small side, but in wonderful settings, which make them special. 
> Free activities, like a tour of the surrounding rice terrace, yoga sessions, and coconut palm leaf craft workshop. 
> In-situ spa. 

THE NOT SO GOOD
> The photos shown for my room on Booking.com correspond to another room, not mine. I was expecting a balcony, as photographed, but there was none. 
> Wardrobe too small for two people! 
> Curtains difficult to open and close; the one on the front door was especially annoying as the entrance to each room is lighted at night and I had difficulty sleeping as the curtains could not be totally closed. The rails and/or rings should be changed to allow a more natural use of the curtains. 
> Very noisy mini-bar, especially noticeable at night. 
> Bulky impractical "make my room" sign. 
> No TV or music. Not a problem for me, but it might be a problem for other travelers. 
> Security box a bit too high for a small lady! OK for most men. 
> Prices in menu in restaurant, bars, and spa do not include govt taxes! Why note showing the full price tax included? Spa is lovely but overpriced, and so are the prices of non alcoholic drinks. 
> Some the information regarding pricing of taxis, drivers, tours etc. outside those offered by the hotel, were misleading and always on the upper side, as they told me to pay more than I should according to locals. 

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Microsoft Arc Mouse

I was expecting a lot from this mouse because Microsoft is my favourite brand of mice, and also because I have one of the first Arc mice to ever come out to the market, many years old, and it's still working and in a very good condition.  

THE THUMBS UP

The newest Arc Mouse is very minimalist in design, bends and unbends incredibly easy, and is amazingly flat; in fact, the flattest mouse I've ever seen. It's a bit heavier than other flattish mice, but the quality of the materials is way superior as well.   

The size is good for people with small hands, like me, as would allow them to have two or three fingers resting comfortably on the mouse (I doubt most men would be able to do so, though). The surface is soft and velvety, pleasurable to touch, and easy to handle because the rubbery material allows the hand to stay in place without slipping out even when it is sweaty. The arch of the mouse is also good, not too high not too low, at least for my hands. Although my thumb and pinkie are left out of the resting area,  the round smooth sides and the hight of the arch make it comfortable for the fingers to hang around or underneath the edges. 

The working area has been intuitively built and designed and, at least in my case, I had not problems moving, clicking and using the scroll,  as my fingers sat and moved in the same way they would sit on a normal mouse. 

One can customise the speed and functionality of the click buttons, the sensitivity and speed of the scroll, and also activate or deactivate the multi-finger use. 

I tried the mouse on different surfaces (my desk, a gaming mat, my fabric sofa) and it worked perfectly on all of them. 

Once installed, the connectivity was good. The mouse worked well, no drops during work time, except once when I left the computer to sleep. It was responsive to touch, easy to handle, but it was not especially fast or fluid as my simpler mice are.

This mouse is perfect for travelling or if you are on the go quite often, as it can be fit anywhere.

THE LET DOWNS

The main letdown of the mouse is the clicking, because one has to click really hard, almost push down the click, and that makes something as simple as clicking a pain, slowing down work. Besides, the noise is metallic and noticeable. Unfortunately, after an hour or so of use, my finger joints were noticing the effects, my forearm was saying hello-hello, tired of so much hammering. This tightness of the clicking might ease with time and use, but not everybody has the time or willingness to spend futile time trying to love something that cannot be fully loved.  If you have strong hands or stronger hands than mine, this won't be an issue, but it is an issue for me.   

I expected the set-up to be easier than it was. I followed the basic set-up instructions in the leaflet inside the packing case. I tried it in my two computers, both running on Windows 10, but one of them quite old and the other brand new. I expected the device to be automatically recognised by my laptops' in-built bluetooth, but that was not the case in either despite the bluetooth being on. I had to download the drivers and do a bit of troubleshooting for the device to be found and paired in my brand new laptop, but the bluetooth connectivity wasn't good in my old laptop and I cannot use it with that.  

One of the most annoying things about this mouse is the battery holder. It is so tight that it is really difficult to do something as simple as getting a battery out.  

The worst thing about this mouse is that after a day of use ruined the whole bluetooth system of my computer, simply destroyed it. I don't know if a sort of drivers incompatibility or what, but my brand new computer switched off the bluetooth, then kept it hidden, then it would not allow me to turn it on, and I couldn't uninstall the Arc Mouse, and I had to totally uninstall everything bluetooth related to be able to uninstall the mouse driver. Even after that, after reinstalling all drivers, following Microsoft's and my laptop maker's instructions, my bluetooth has been destroyed. My bluetooth worked perfectly until I started to use this mouse! 

I SUGGEST

If I were Microsoft's mice master mind, I would work on improving this mouse clicking and work flow to make it soft, mute and fluid, and, consequently, enjoyable.

I personally like dongles as, until now, they work faster than any bluetooth connection,  they would work even if the bluetooth fails, and it would be a way of having a two-way mouse that can face any adversity and adapt to any eventuality. 

And since this mouse's drivers and my bluetooth did not get well along, I suggest Microsoft dudes to work together so nobody experiences the mess I have after installing this mouse. 
 

IN SHORT

The mouse's shape and surface are great, as well as the overall design and thinness. This mouse is perfect for travellers or if you are on the go quite often, as it can be stored anywhere. However, the hardness of the clicking and the resulting lack of flow in the use  aren't good unless your fingers hammer the click a la typewriter. And in my case, the mouse messed up my whole bluetooth system in a laptop that is less than a year old, something unforgivable. 

I got this as a gift for my birthday, but really, knowing as I know how expensive this mouse is and having used it for such a short time and having such a big problem with my laptop bluetooth, I can bluntly say that it is not worth the money or the hassle. 

REMINDER

A work mouse is like a pair of shoes, one needs the right size and fit to be able to move properly; otherwise, one will be in pain. If the shoes are expensive but good, that is an investment; but if hey are expensive but mediocre, then it is a waste of one's money and and one is walking barefoot. 

Think about that dear mouse designers. 

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Garuda Indonesia

I've travelled twice with Garuda Indonesia for international flights so far, and it is a good airline. 

The planes were modern and clean. Seating in Economy Class was decent and not as tight as in other airlines. 

My last flight with them was comfortable and punctual. The entertainment program was decent, but not as good as that offered by other international airlines for similar distances, and not as as good as Qantas Domestic for long flights. 

In my last flight, only five and a half hours long, they provided travellers with a snack at night and a full breakfast in the morning. Food was all right regarding taste and variety. 

The flight attendants were lovely both in the airport and on the plane, but the in-flight communications in English were a pain to listen to. 

In short, a good airline to fly with, but nothing one would be looking forward to unless the ticket includes a part of the route with them. 

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Transavia Airlines

I flew with this airline as they did part of the European continental route I had with my KLM ticket. 

I had never heard of or travelled with this airline, so I had no expectations. This is a low-cost airline, similar to Jestar in Australia. 

The plane was pretty good, very nice colour scheme and very clean, but the plane had small leg room in Economy Class, no free meals, and no entertainment program whatsoever.

The flight attendants were most helpful and friendly.

If you want a cheap friendly flight this is your airline. If you want a bit of comfort I would go elsewhere. 

To be fair, I had a good flight with them.

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Etihad Airlines

I was extremely excited when my last intercontinental ticket had a part of the route, a long flight, with Etihad. The airline is at the top of any list of best airlines in the world these days, how not to be excited? Yet, Etihad was the biggest disappointment ever. 

Etihad might be a super-duper airline for Business Class and First Class, but it is average regarding Economy Class. It certainly, does not match the service and comfort I've experienced in Economy for similar flights with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, KLM and other airlines. 

The plane was very pretty and looking very new and spotless clean. 

Leg room was very little, less than in other airlines, cattle travel, if you know what I mean. To me that ruins anything when you have a 14 hour travel and generates me plenty of physical trouble. 

Food and snacks were decent, but not as good or abundant as with other airlines.

The entertainment program was good enough, but not really excellent, or as vast and varied as that of similarly rated airlines. 

The crew were lovely, polite and smiley and worn a very classy glamour uniform. 

Overall, nothing in my long flight made me think that I was travelling with one of the best airlines in the world, honestly. 

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Lagoon Spa (Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia)

I found this place through Tripadvisor, to whom the photo is credited. 

I was staying in another hotel in the area and I book my preferred package the day before. I booked by email and, just in case, also by phone. Afterwards, I received a clear email with information about price of the package, without taxes and with taxes included, length of the treatment, and pick up hour, as they offered me a free lift to their place. 

I had the Lagoon Delight Package, two hours and a half of pure bliss with rain shower (ohmy!), full facial with Pevonia cosmetics, full body massage and traditional coconut scrub. 

The lady at reception and the therapist were really friendly, caring and helpful. The therapist was very attentive to my needs and did a fabulous job. 

The premises are inside the Seminak Villas hotel, and the treatment rooms are beautiful, and have a bath and mini-pool in the attached garden area. 

I was sorry not to leave a decent tip, as I was leaving Bali a few hours later and I had got rid of most of my Indonesian money, but I thought they deserved it. Pricing was very good for such a long and good quality treatment. 

I wanted to go to a nearby Post Office walking, and no way, they didn't let me do that and asked the hotel caddy driver to drop me there. 

I really enjoyed my visit and I would certainly go back there if I happen to visit Bali again. Terima Kasih!

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Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse

  I have many mice at home, and Microsoft's are the best for work purposes; I have had some of them for over a decade and they are still working.  In my quest for the perfect elusive work mouse, I came across the Microsoft Ergonomic Mouse, and I had to have it.

Overall, this is a great mouse. It looks beautiful, it is made of good quality materials, and feels luxurious and even sensual in the hand. The mouse is very responsive and sensitive to movement, and provides a smooth fast mousing experience. It has a very soft pleasurable not-noisy clicking.  My hand rests naturally on it, and the thumb rest area is very comfortable; the angled positioning of the wheel and clicking buttons really work for me. The side blue button allow you to open Microsoft start menu and it is really easy to use in the position where it is.

I tested the mouse on a Windows 10 computer and run without a problem.

Unfortunately if you, like me, have small hands, you are going to return this mouse because it is too high, too bulky and too heavy for small hands, and not a keeper if you work in front of a computer the whole day and want to have a health hand and arm posture.

I hope Microsoft sees the light and makes a mini version of this one, because I would love to have this keeper in my hand size.  

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Sisterfields (Seminyak, Indonesia)

Sisterfields could be anywhere in Melbourne. It has very good creative food, trendy decor, spacious premises, different seating areas, and a great vibe from early in the morning. 

Most visitors are Australians and foreigners. 

Service was fast, attentive and very friendly. 

Coffee was excellent. 

My Shashuka breaky was delicious and satisfying. 

I paid 23 dollars or so for my breakfast and a coffee, the same I would pay in Oz for a similar thing.

A very enjoyable visit. 

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Comfort Hotel Boersparken (Oslo, Norway)

Comfort Hotel Boersparken
Tollbugata 4, Oslo 0152, Norway
Phone: +47 22 47 17 17
Fax: +47 22 47 17 18
E-mail co.borsparken@choice.no
Photo courtesy of the Hotel

This hotel is basic simple hotel, an upgraded backpacker hotel for adults if you want, but it has everything you need in the heart of Oslo.

GOOD
> Location. It faces the National Opera House and the docks, and its a short walk from the train station and the some of the main sights, cafes and restaurants in the city centre.
> I found here one the most welcoming warmest staff in Norway. Always ready to help with a smile, and go the extra-mile to assist you.
> The reception has a small mini-shop with snacks and heatable pre-prepared boxed food if you just want a sandwich or something simple.
> The lounge, is also the dining room and offers free coffee and chocolate to customers, for free, all day long. You just use the self-serving machines.
> The lounge is large and with many different seating areas.
> Lifts are secure, and function with your key card.
> Wi-fi was good, fast and reliable.

SO SO
Breakfast was varied, buffet like, and had a bit of everything, but nothing exciting. I have had better breakfast buffet in similar hotels in Norway.

NO NOS
> The place is hectic, crowded and quite noisy. Lifts are always crowded.
> Our room was at the bottom end of a corridor and had two single beds, single as in my size, if you are tall, it is not good. One of them was underneath a staircase space, tiny space, no bedside table; the other bed was upstairs, very steep stairs, also very basic. Just a stool in each space. Two steep stairs to the bathroom, which was OK. A metallic bar with three hangers.
> The key card MUST be used to lock the door when you leave the room. Otherwise, the door stays open. I haven't found that sort of system anywhere in the world! The instructions were at the back of the card, but most hotels have self-locking doors on exit.
> No curtains, just roller blinds. No problem with that except, if they are up, you have to go upstairs to bring them down, or do team work with the person upstairs to bring them to your level thought it was ridiculous!

MY RECOMMENDATION
There are other hotels 5 minutes walking distance from this, as central as this is, at a fraction of the price. Personally, I would stay in one of those. Like the Citybox Hotel for example. 

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Microsoft Office 365 Personal 1-year 1 user, PC Key Card

I have several computers at home. I have been using the MS Office Suit for decades and most happy with the programs. The version I'm using in my 'old' laptop is the MS Office 2010, which I bought in CD format, installed in my computer, and works very well. I decided to buy this key subscription for this 2013 version to install it in my brand new laptop two months ago. Since then, I have regretted getting this key subscription, paying for it, and downloading this version of the Suit. 

SOME OF MY ISSUES WITH THIS SUBSCRIPTION 
> Despite getting this Suit at a discounted priced because I bought it with a new laptop, the price is still a rip off. 
> According to my shop, there is no physical CD of the Office Suit any more, at least in my country. This means, that I had to pay for the downloading myself, and I say pay because I have capped Internet. 
> Since downloading and installing this Suit from the MS website, and activating it, the program constantly demands me to be online, which is not a problem because I'm online most of the day for work anyway. But a bother if I don't feel like it. 
> Even when I am connected, I get constant messages from MS, sort of "Microsoft doesn't recognise your subscription, please check your Internet connection or activate it". Well, really, they recognised my activation online as soon as I introduced the codes, and it appears as activated in my online account, and in the emails they sent me, so it's the stupid program misbehaving. 
> The interface of Word 2013 (the program I use the most), is not as user-friendly as previous ones, not much more customizable than versions launched a decade ago, and it offers little substantial improvement with regard to the 2010 version that I'm using in my old laptop. 
> This suit works really slow, slower than the old suit in my old computer, even though I'm using it in a brand new laptop. It takes ages for Word docos to be saved if they are "large". My old MS Office 2010 does not have a problem to save them in a microsecond. 

I find unethical launching Suits like this, for which I'm charged yearly, not having a physical way of installing or backing up the program, and finding little improvement if any. This Office Suit and this subscription are really annoying, and I am glad that I bought it just for one year and one computer, because, as soon as it expires, I will uninstall it and install my old MS Office 2010 instead. 

MY RECOMMENDATION 
> If you don't really need MS Office for work, use any of the Open-Source Office suits out there, which are fab these days, and are fully compatible at least for Word. 
> If you need this MS Office for work and have a fully-functional older version, keep the latter, you won't find much improvement or a better experience by replacing it with this one. > If you can buy a physical format of the program, do so, instead of downloading the program and activating it with this key. 
> If you need this MS Office for work and have no previous suit, try this version, one person one computer. If it works for you, great; otherwise, the nightmare will last only for a year. 
> If you need a reliable email program without having to pay subscriptions of any type, get one of the excellent open-source email suits out there. I stopped using MS Outlook about 3 years ago, and never regretted it or gone back. This is my experience with this annoying subscription. I hope the 2016 program comes in a fully functional version, that CD versions are for sale, and that real improvements are added. 

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Fraser Suits Apartahotel (East Perth)

Head photo courtesy of Booking.com

Here a wrap up of my experience with this hotel.

GOOD
> The hall is very contemporary and elegant, spacious and breezy in a mix of neutral contemporary elegant colours. I really loved it.
> Spotless clean premises.
> The room's toilet: great shower!, very good quality cotton towels, L'Occitane toiletries (those excited me greatly!), and a lot of storage room behind the mirror. If you are a giant basketballer, no problem, you can see yourself from head to toe, as the mirror reaches the ceiling.
> Nice basic kitchenette with microwave/induction oven, basic cutlery, crockery and glassware, and a mini-bar with a bit of room to put your stuff in.
> Huge mid-hard bed. Very comfortable.
> Humongous flat screen TV.
> Well-located power points and a decent number of them.
> Double wardrobe and plenty of storage for a couple.
> Complimentary robe and slippers. I always love finding those in any hotel.
> Complimentary Internet.
> Complimentary tea and coffee facilities.
> Awesome comfortable desk chair!
> The waitresses at the restaurant.
> The views of the Swan River from some of the rooms.
> Free WI-FI.

SO-SO

> Free Internet worked fine with the smartphone, but was a bit slow in the laptop, and the line dropped at times, requiring to sign in again. Good enough for my stay and for the work I had to do, though. 
> The hotel might please people looking for a quite comfortable spot near the CBD, but it might not please those looking for an vibrant surrounding area full of shops, cafes and restaurants or nice buildings.
> The restaurant Heirloom. See  review here.
> Lighting in the room. Once the daylight vanishes, the lighting in the studio was too dim for work and more conducive to do nothing. Great if you are on holidays and want to sleep.
> The mirror was located in the wrong space... behind the easy chair! Hello Hello! In the professional photos it is located where it should be.
> Overall ambience of the hotel and the room is meh to the square.
> The view from the room.

NO-NOS

I encountered a few issues that I consider unacceptable for a hotel that charges you 200 bucks the night and presents itself as a 4-star hotel:

> Noisy air-con and with no instructions on how to regulate it.
> The safety box didn't work. Not, it wasn't me being clumsy, it did not work.  
> My robe had all the downs stained; it looked like make-up foundation, but it must be burnt marks from ironing or any other occurrence that I don't want to envision.
> Table with the edges peeled/damaged. My eyes hurt.
> The tapware was also peeled, and the upper coat gone in some areas. That is because this is crap tapware. Four stars, who said that?
> One of the lights in the bathroom didn't work, so it was quite dark.
> The phone had a sort of three red flash lights saying new message received and also to recharge it. I consulted with the reception upon arrival. They said not to worry, to leave it like that as there was no message received. Well, being jet-lagged my eyes opened in the night and I felt my room was the new Amsterdam. Tried to order room service in the morning and realised that the phone did not work at all. Back again to reception, it will fixed today, don't worry, have a nice day. Liar liar. Nobody came...
> No booklet with info about the hotel about anything anywhere. One could easily ask by phone, for sure, if the phone worked.
> This is mostly a business hotel. So a deluxe studio should be ready for the client to work. There is no workstation as such in this study. The "desk" is really large but there are two main obstacles, a humongous flat screen TV occupying most of it, and the tray with nibbles and drinks. I had to remove the latter, quite heavy, to put my work material there. Business minded, really?
> The room had the usual old-fashioned beige+maroon mix that feels outdated and dirty. Something important about paintings, please, if you don't have nice ones don't hang those you have, which look like taken from Crazy Clarke's :O. The room, without the filters of the professional photo and the bunch of flowers looked way less appealing.  
> Awesome looking stylish armchair, but very uncomfortable to seat on.
> No sound-proof windows. One of the days was quite windy. The sound was like when I skydived in New Zealand minus the wow effect. Seriously! The wind was battering the window panes hard and very noisily. No, it wasn't a hurricane, the windows are not thick enough or sound-proof.
> No TV channel in another language. Multicultural, where?
> I was told in the restaurant that my first breakfast was included in the price, and they didn't make me sign the usual bill you sign after you finish your meal. Well, it was NOT included and I had to pay for it.
> When checking out, I mentioned this, the guy acted as I was making things up. He would go and check things with the lady at the restaurant, but he didn't, and charged me the price without even asking. I presented my debit card to pay. The signature has faded completely; this is the fault of the card makers. He asked me for an identification. Really, they had my passport on record since day one. Perhaps they didnt think I look like luxury customer. He was nice enough to bring my suitcases to the taxi rack outside and apologised quite a bit, but Reception had lost my respect by then, unfortunately.
> They charge you 1% if you pay with a credit card. Ridiculous for a supposedly luxury hotel. Perhaps luxury for Perth.

GOOD TO KNOW

> Check-in is at 3pm but, if they have room available they will usher in at no extra cost. > You have a convenience store (a really nice guy there) and a Balinese beauty salon next door. The Grand Hyatt is at 5 minutes walking distance, and you might want to visit one of their restaurants or go to the café and another convenience store very close to it as well.
> As East Perth is part of the free ride area in Perth you don't need to pay for anything if you just go to the CBD or within the free ride area in general. The bus stops across the road.

IN SHORT

The hotel is not up to standards in luxury, attention to customer, design, style, service, quality of the service, and courtesy of the staff. To me, this is a nice 3.5 stars at the price of a luxury hotel. The only thing I considered luxurious were the toiletries. Mostly they fail at running the place properly, things don't work and aren't fixed because they don't bother, there is a constant lack of communication between the staff, they treat customers as they were a nuisance, lie at their faces (in this case mine) and the people at Reception are truly unhelpful and act as we had to please them not the other way around. That is typical of Perth hospitality, and unnerves me every time. My advice is to spend your bucks elsewhere if you want to get what you pay for. Otherwise, pay for the most expensive room. I guess you will find luxury there... or not. 

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The Cafe at Hyatt Regency (East Perth)

The Café is located in the central hall of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in East Perth, facing the central fountain and the piano player. I had a High Tea session at The Café recently and a very enjoyable visit but, overall, I felt this was not proper High Tea and more a buffet experience.

The place is very pleasant, but it lack finesse and elegance, and I thought that looked like a hotel café, but not a Hyatt hotel café. Perhaps good enough for Perth, but I don't think it matches the wonderful High Tea experience I had in Rochelle Adonis a few years ago or that in other Hyatts. 

The food on the three-tier tray was  mediocre, and the sandwiches were dry and tasteless. The wrap rolls were very nice, though, especially the green one.

The savoury options were just six and mostly junk food, and nothing that makes any favour to the Hyatt. The dumpling was definitely the best item there, the rest totally average and forgettable.  

The sweet section was way more interesting, varied and I regretted not limiting myself to the sweets. I loved the mini-dessert glasses, and I tried them all! Overall quite nice, but the ones that really stood up for me were the tiramisu, the mango and lychee, and the black forest. Among the others, the strawberry lamington was lovely, as well. There were many different sort of mini-slices snf big slices from a big cake, waffles, fresh fruit and much more. If you have a sweet tooth and a big stomach, you will really enjoy it. I loved the fact that their sweets aren't overly sweet and I would have had liked having a bigger stomach to try then all!

The price is 52 and includes flowing champagne, coffee/and tea before 5pm and they are generous! I barely drink these days, but I think it will make happy most people and they stop by often to ask if one wants a refill.

The staff were here really welcoming, very attentive and friendly, and they made the visit especially pleasant for me.  The sort of people who I really enjoy in hospitality: hospitable, smiley, and genuine.
 
This is not a High Tea, but a good-priced pleasant buffet experience. You won't find anything really remarkable or gourmet, and won't need to dress up for this visit. Of course, sometimes you just want that, fill your belly, eat many things and be merry. So this place is great for that. Having the piano player in front of the café makes the experience especially pleasant if you happen to seat in the tables facing the lounge. If you want a High Tea with finesse, glamour and class, go to Rochelle Adonis in Highgate.

NOTE
There was a table with the 3-tier tray with food on an empty table. Nobody came, the food stood  there for two hours... that is unacceptable for any place, let alone for the Hyatt.

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BlueMail App by BlueMail Inc.

I have had this app in my phone for a few months months now. I got it until my phone's own program crashed, and needed of an alternative until they fixed the problem. I know that Google and Outlook mail apps can handle several accounts at the same time, but I'm a bit annoyed at the over-presence of these two companies in my life .

I have downloaded and tried several mail apps with good ratings in GooglePlay, but they lasted maximum two days in my phone; basically, they didn't give me the reliability, freedom or versatility I needed.

I stumbled upon this, and this is my main Android mail handler at present. The things I like about BlueMail are:
> Handling of several accounts. In my case 5 different accounts at the same time.
> Notifications, synchronisation times, and colours assigned to each account are easy to set and customise in the settings area.
> You can decide whether you have inbox viewed unified, with any email from any account arriving there, or just select one of the accounts as main view.
> Setting each account is easy, as the app automatically does so when you introduce your accounts usernames and passwords.
> The inbox is really really simple but pleasant, and you have a clear view and a high contrast one, which is the one I use, which is great for poor-sighted people.
> In the inbox, you can slide one email to the right and get rid of it, or slide it to the left and you will be shown three options: delete, mark as read and archive.
> There is batch editing of the emails.
> You can give feedback from the app to the developers.
> You can set your signature or brief message in every single of the accounts you have in this email, easy-peasy to do.
> You can personalise the profile picture/name of each of your accounts from the app.
> You can go to settings and decide to lock the app without the need of installing any lock app.
> Many more features than I need.
> The app runs smoothly.
> No failure or mishap so far.
> Reliable and serious app.
> Free
> No adds.
> NO pop ups asking you to rate them every single day.

I would love it if this app had a desktop version. I would pay for it!
I would also love a few more customisation options, even if I had to pay for them.

I am surprised at the low number of reviews for this app! It works great for me.

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Skype for PC by Skype

I have used Skype since it first saw the light, many years ago. I have it installed in my computers and gadgets. I use it all the time. In my PC at least once a month for intercontinental chats of about 1-2 hours of length.
 
Skype for PC is one of my favourite desktop apps and I am mostly happy with it. The quality of the sound is usually very good. Nowadays, I rarely get return and delay sounds and the line rarely drops, something that happened quite often in the past. In the last year, using this app at least once a month, I have had a bad experience, just once. My main problem with the app is for voice+audio chats, as it is a pain in the butt: with frozen images or very slow movement images or very bad quality image. I don't know if it is related to my Internet carrier or not, but it is most annoying. The result is that I don't make video calls any more unless when these lasts for a minute or two. 

Skype's interface for PC is a bit outdated, not clear enough and not customer friendly enough. The home screen should clearly show the options and ask you which one you want to use: voice call, video call, written chat alone, send photo and/or doco, plus the contact list on the side bar. 

My account is totally private, only close friends and family are there, I cannot be found by name or email. Yet, sometimes I get requests of people I don't know, spammers, I guess, so I would like that scam to be out of my house and the portholes that take them there, totally locked.

I like that Skype asks me about the quality of the sound and call/video call when I finish. At least they care! I think that serves to improve the service and is specially important when I have a bad experience. 

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Skype for Android by Skype

I have had Skype in my Android gadgets for a long time, but it is just recently that started to use it for normal phone calls. In a way, Skype for android has more user-friendly interface than the PC version, is very easy to use, very use to add money, and very use to do anything, really.

I went overseas recently and my usual mobile carrier for overseas didn't have roaming. I added a bit of credit in Skype through the app and made my first call using the app. I was surprised at the great quality of the voice call and the ridiculously low money I spent on a 30 minute call. 

Skype for Android has grown on my since then, and now I have it for intercontinental calls over the phone at home. It works great every time. There is a free option in Skype that allows you to associate your home phone number with your Skype account, so when you call somebody from your Skype app, they will see just your home phone number in their screens, which is very convenient and useful for me. Of course proper verification is needed for that. This feature works just in some countries, so check if yours is included in advance.

Skype on the Go is another feature that you can use in the app. It could be great, but it is just an emergency feature for me. The good thing is you can call from your Skype add without the need of having internet but, on the other hand, you need to call an assigned local number to make the call through it. So, it is OK for an emergency, not for my normal calls. This feature works just in some countries, so check if yours is included in advance. 
 
If their fees were cheaper, I would certainly pay for my own Skype number and use the app for phone calls all the time, but I don't think the yearly fears for owning a Skype number are reasonable.

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Ibis Budget Málaga Centro (Málaga, Spain)

Ibis Budget Málaga Centro
Calle Calvo, 4 
29007 Málaga, Spain
Phone:+34 951 21 38 54

THE GOOD
+ Scandinavian sort of hotel, with a basic stylish functional room deprived of anything that is not necessary, yet very comfortable and with anything you need for a short stay. The rooms are not as small as I thought by reading other visitors' comments, certainly they aren't large, but OK in size. If you have 3-4f XL suitcases it might be a problem. 
+  Zen style decor, minimal but very pleasing to the eye.
 + Bed, desk and chair were really comfortable. 
+ TV in the room.
+ Air-con in the room. 
+ Comfy large hard bed. 
+ Spotless clean rooms and common areas.
+ Free reliable Wi-Fi all over the hotel.
+ Snack and coffee machines in the lobby.
+ Small café area in the lobby. They serve a simple breaky at very cheap prices. You can order some snacks directly from reception, good priced and OK to fill in your belly if you are hungry and there is nothing open around when you get there. 
+ Great location in the centre of the city, very close to the Central Bus Station (walking distance if you have carry-on baggage) and a few minutes away by taxi (less than 10 Euro), just 6 Kms from the airport at a walking distance from some of the major sights

in the city.
 + Unless you arrive on a Sunday, there are plenty of bars, cafes and shops at a very short walking distance and around the hotel.
+ Great hotel for a short stay.  
+ Environmentally friendly. 
+ Great value for money. I have been in similar hotels in Scandinavia and they costed me triple the price. I have been to way worse hotels in Australia and they costed me triple the price.

THE NOT SO GOOD
- Minimal toiletries. If you need more, you need to contact reception.
- No safety box in the room.
- No phone in the room. 
- No toilet brush in the bathroom.
- No wardrobe or storage place, just a hangers rack. 
- Few power points.   
- No minibar in the room.
- The café is just a small dining area for a simple breaky, which is expensive for Spanish standards and has not many options. Make yourself a favour and go to the cafés around and nearby.
- The guys at reception are sometimes overwhelmed by the avalanche of customers, especially late in the evening when there is just one person attending to the cue, the phone an the cafe. It was stressful to witness. 
- Ugly views depending on the rooms. 

 ***

Overall, a good budget hotel that delivers what promises at ridiculously cheap prices. 
  

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