TWC Provides Free Phone Calls to Philippines

Time Warner Cable announced on November 12 that all calls placed by its' Home Phone and Business Service customers to landline and mobile numbers in the Philippines will be free through November 30, and is retroactive for all calls placed since November 8. This service will help our customers in the Filipino-American community keep in touch with family and friends impacted by Typhoon Yolanda, international name, Haiyan.

TWC Phone customers who make calls to the Philippines during the eligible time period do not need to make any changes to their accounts. Customers who were charged on or after November 8 will automatically be credited.

In addition, Time Warner Cable has made The Filipino Channel available at no additional cost to digital TV subscribers through November 15, 2013 to help customers better connect to news and information about Typhoon Yolanda recovery efforts.

New Facebook Game has people going with different statuses

The past two days has been a bit crazy in Facebook with seemingly a lot of people having something to confess or getting married or something seemingly innocent. So, you comment, or like the status only to find out that you've been baited into a game. You receive a private message with the instructions, and just like chain messages an era ago, the message spreads as more and more friends join in. Well, it has been a full two days and it seems like everyone's wondering as to what's up. Note though that I have no idea as to who originated the game and as to who was Victim 0 in this setting:

Here's the message I received after I posted a seemingly innocent observation on one such comment:

It's a game. At dahil nag like/comment ka kasali ka na eto yung rules: The person who likes/comments has to choose one of the following to post on his/her timeline. 1. I've been in 42 relationships 2. I think I like someone, what should I do? 3. My mom arranged me for a blind date 4. Someone invited me to be a prostitute, what should I do? 5. I forgot to wear my underwear today 6. I am going to confess something, support me 7. I still love my ex. 8. We are getting married in a few days. Note: you should not explain anything, just post and leave it for at least a day.

My own post garnered 180+ likes, which I found to be crazy. Am I really getting that old that people are so happy that I'm finally settling down? Hehee.

Free XBox Games on Windows 8

Still on the fence as to what to actually do with Windows 8? As Microsoft starts to expand the XBox brand to go beyond just the console itself and its games and more into other infrastructures [XBox Video, XBox Music, and Xbox Games for Windows at the moment] to better cope with the changing preferences of the computing public. People may still not like the whole Metro/Modern UI, but for casual users, the various apps available in the Windows 8 store would definitely get to suit a lot of people's needs.

As with The Gunstringer being made free for a limited time last January, the Windows 8 app store is providing a few more XBox games for free. Previously included as paid apps, it is time to grab these free goodies while they're free. One might think that these are piss poor apps, but these are Miniclip-made games, and Miniclip has done a great job of porting their games from the browser to the various mobile platforms. In particular, I've been playing Gravity Guy when it was earlier released for Android and the transition to this new platform has been seemless.

Since these games are included as XBox Games for Windows, these also include the standard 200 gamerscore for achievements, so that's an extra incentive for players to boost their gamerscore-slash-bragging rights a bit.

Included below is the screenshot for reference. One can access these games through the Store app, and/or the Games app on your Windows 8 Start Screen.

The Gunstringer free for Windows 8 until January 28 PST

Using Windows 8 but has not found too many games to play with [at least, for free]? It has been reported that Temple Run would soon be ported to Windows 8, but while waiting for the smash hit from Imangi Studios, there's another game that deserves some attention. 

The Gunstringer is currently available for Windows 8 users and for free until January 28 PST. Go back to the Wild West as you go off on a dead run to complete the story mode, or when you're more up to it, the endless run mode. 

Also, it should be noted that Windows Live/XBox users can get additional gamerscore [although its quite low compared to regular XBox titles] by getting achievements in-game.

For more information, here's the game description from the publisher themselves:

Hit the trail at a dead run as you race through three sprawling Wild West locations and 15 levels as the Gunstringer, the legendary skeleton cowboy marionette bent on vengeance. But as the ol’ saying goes—if you climb in the saddle, be ready for the ride! Avoid deadly obstacles, take aim in fast-action shootin’ challenges, collect tasty loot, and battle outlaws—all while being pursued by the hands of Hell!

Complete the level-driven Story mode, and then challenge friends for braggin’ rights and loot payouts in three Endless Run levels. Exchange hard-earned loot for new customization options such as weapons, power-ups, and more to aid in the Gunstringer’s quest for the evil bandit!

I gave it a go yesterday in one of our work crashboxes and I was hooked. Time flew by and it is not just about running, since it adds a slight wrinkle to the genre, where you need to properly time your shots at certain parts of the game. 

In-game currency is either gold coins or the premium diamonds [which you can buy in-game]. You can unlock the various powerups and customizations without having to fork over real dough, which is always a welcome plus. 

So if you're on Windows 8, this is a must-grab especially while it's free.