Talkin' Tech

My New Advocacy: eBooks for Pinoy

2009-09-21T18:02:00.000+08:00

I just started a new eBook-centric blog: eBookster.

I am moving!

2009-01-18T17:45:00.001+08:00

After a long hiatus, I lost the momentum in posting to this blog. So effective immediately, the new home of Talkin’ Tech will be Talkin’ Tech [re-plugged].

Hope to see you all there (yes, all three of you) :D

Posting Through Windows Live Writer

2009-01-18T13:20:00.001+08:00

…and shuddering at the thought of using a Microsoft product full time should this turn out to be a good way to update my blog.

Keep It Coming! [SMS SPAM]

2008-08-11T17:38:00.002+08:00

...and I'll keep posting your "helpful" messages here!

Well, since no one can Google the content of the message, here it is:

From: +639162307682
Gud news! NO COLLATERAL CASH LOAN, LOW nterest RATE!! NO HIDDEN CHARGES!! Borrow 30K-1M, 4 more nfo U kud also tx me at 09286112530, GODBLESS U-KRIS2PHER

Oh, and did I mention that I received this fricking message while I was DRIVING HOME?

Globe's "myServices" Portal for the iPhone is Up!

2008-08-07T19:05:00.003+08:00

And it looks GREAT!

Tapping on the "myAccount" link will bring a subscriber to a page that shows the amount due, total roaming charges and the total unbilled charges! A real convenient way to check if a cellphone user is already going beyond his cellphone budget. Tapping on the "myGlobe" link will bring a subscriber to Globe's eCommerce site where a subscriber can buy ringback tones.

A real promising start for those who will be getting the iPhone come August 22, 2008 and a good way to maximize the use of current Globe subscribers who already own a 1st-generation iPhone.

iPhone 3G Plans -- The Official Philippine Rates

2008-08-06T19:14:00.005+08:00

Well, it took long enough but it came anyway... the eagerly awaited iPhone 3G will be available in a few week's time and the verdict is out: Local Apple enthusiasts have mixed reaction to the news. Some breathed a sigh of relief because they can no get their grubby little hands on a legitimate iPhone 3G, some are ranting to high heavens, dismayed at the cost of owning one. As for me, I think I'll hold on to my 1st-get iPhone for at least one year more simply because it still works and I feel that despite its lack of GPS and 3G, it is still quite a capable piece if technology.

Globe's iPhone plans, the lowest is Php 1,599/mo + 16,800 for the Gb unit and the highest plan is Php 4,999 with a free 8Gb unit, may seem a bit expensive considering that the iPhone can also be had for 41,889(8Gb) or 48,899 (16Gb). A quick calculation will show that it might be cheaper to get the unit outright than be locked in to the telco for 2-years and paying more over the period of the lock-in.

I'm sure that a lot of people will "bite" into this despite the price because, let's face it, the iPhone is one cool gadget.

Disclaimer: I am not selling the iPhone 3g not any of the gadgets I write about in this blog. An ignorant f@cktard (you know who you are) has been spamming this blog claiming that I am making money selling stuff here. FYI, the adsense check I received from ads in my blogs is not nearly enough to pay for a week's worth of gasoline -- which means I can definitely live without it and not receiving any checks from adsense will not make me a pauper nor will it drive me to send out SPAM to make "extra money". So there!
In the vernacular: hindi ako itinitinda ang mga bagay na isinusulat ko dito, BOBO!

More SPAM!

2008-07-04T10:48:00.002+08:00

ARGH! After a few day's worth of peace and quiet, here comes another SPAM!

switchAbit Test

2008-07-04T06:58:00.003+08:00

I just discovered a new web service called switchAbit. If I was able to set up the service correctly, this post should appear both my wordpress blog and my jaiku page.

**fingers crossed**

The Aiptek DV Z200 PRO: A Bullet-point Review

2008-07-02T14:59:00.005+08:00

I got this Aiptek DV Z200 PRO as a birthday gift. It also replaces my trusty point-and-shoot Kodak digital camera which got sort of broken when it fell during our summer outing :(

Here are my thoughts so far:

It is quite handy.
The 1000 mAh battery looks like something you see on cellphones.
Videos taken are quite decent but I have yet to those videos on TV.
Its 5 megapixel camera takes good pictures but the shutter lag is a bit annoying.
Connecting the DV Z200 to a computer is a breeze, no drivers required.
Charges if connected to a computer via USB.
The size makes it easy to lug around and capture still images and videos at a moment's notice.
If I'm to use this "seriously", I'll probably need a full-sized tripod (or at least a monopod).

I may still need to get a decent point-and-shoot camera so I can get better pictures. But for taking short video clips and home movies, this little gadget should work really well with me.

Drowning in SMS SPAM!

2008-07-02T14:14:00.003+08:00

It looks like SMS Spammers are working overtime!

In the past few days, I have been receiving these unwanted messages and I wonder if there is anything a cellphone subscriber can do to stop it...

Here are some of the SMS SPAMs I have received so far:

From: +639162643641
CASHLOAN from BDO with an interest rate of as low as .98% per month (we also offer other loans.)
CARLOAN financing BRANDNEW or 2ND HAND UNIT, "CAR MORTGAGE" OR/CR only PAYOFF BANK BALANCE
with an interest rate of 1% per month, lower interest for brandnew.. INTERESTED, u may kol our ofc nos.2122405,2973741,2973432,2971670,2980646,2980645 luk for MS. JINKY.. Thank you!

From: +639202890488
greetings! chinatrust loan offer prequalified client 2 loan 100K-1M @ lower interest 1.39%-1.49%, 4more dtails pls call Ela Relano 02-7503998, thank you po

From +639158874208
1/2 LAST RUN for 2008 of d seminar ALL ABOUT VAT July 15-17 Crowne Plaza 1-5pm. Everything u need t know abt VAT n how it affects ur business. Discover how to

From +639158874212
2/2 legally reduce ur VAT due. Pls call Leni of POWERMAX 687-9014/ 986-3630 / 710-7604 or visit www.powermaxconsultinggroup.com

All the above messages were received by my cellphone within a span of one week! Some even came at the most inopportuned time (while driving, on a meeting, etc.). I have to consult some of my lawyer friends and ask them if there are any legal recourse to stop this recent avalance of unwanted TXT messages.

Oh, and it just struck me that these SMS SPAMMERS are getting crafty... the last two messages are part of a single marketing blurb but they came from two different numbers... a way to circumvent any blacklisting application that some cellphone/smartphone have... crafty in an evil kind of way..,

Free Wi-Fi for New Nokia Cellphones!

2008-06-29T18:55:00.002+08:00

Good news to newly bought Nokia Phones, Nokia Philippines has tied up with Airborne Access to provide free wi-fi access to select wifi-enabled cellphones. See more details here.

A Case for (or against) a MobileME Subscription

2008-06-10T15:09:00.002+08:00

What I have *not* bought since I converted was a .Mac account. Back when I switched, high-speed internet connectivity was quite expensive and having a .Mac account with a dial-up connection to the ‘net seems preposterous to me. As years went on, I sort of forgotten about .Mac and went on with my life… until today. MobileMe was officially announced by his royal Jobness and it made me take a second look at the service formerly known as .Mac.

At $99 a year, a .Mac (or MobileMe subscriber) will get:
My own personal email address
Push email
Mail, Contacts and Calendar synchronization
Online picture gallery
A personal/family web host
Secure online file backup

I already have most of what I enumerated above:

My own personal email address is provided for free by GMail
Push emal? Well, not actually “push” but I have an IMAP connection with GMail for free.
Calendar synchronization is now possible using a free iPhone app called Nemusync.
Do I really need an online picture gallery? But if I do, I can use my free picasaweb account for it.
I also have a blogger account (and a few other free accounts on other providers) for hosting stuff I want published online.
My file backups are being taken cared of by my trusty flashdrives, DVD-R’s and external hard drive.

Hmmm… When I started to write this post, I almost convinced myself to get a MobileMe account but now that I thought about it, maybe I’ll pass… FOR NOW.

Its Officially Official! part deux

2008-06-10T12:53:00.002+08:00

Got these screencaps from the officially official iPhone/Philippines webpage from the officially official Apple website.

It's Officially Official: Globe Telecoms gets the 3G iPhone!

2008-06-10T06:53:00.003+08:00

It can't be more official than this: Globe Telecoms **will** bring the much coveted 3G iPhone to the Philippine shores! With a tagline "Twice as fast. Half the price", who would not wet his pants and start sweating bullets in anticipation?

AirborneAccess + Smart Gold Bundle Promo

2008-06-05T13:31:00.004+08:00

If you are in the Philippines and is a subscriber of Smart Gold, then here's some good news:

Get unlimited monthly Wi-Fi access at Airborne Access hotspots with your Smart Gold and Addict post-paid subscription!

Starting June 3, 2008; all SMART Gold and Addict subscribers who still wish to avail of the Unlimited WiFi Connections through Airborne Access may register for the promo with the following offerings:

1. P99.00 Monthly Service Fee (VAT inclusive)
2. Unlimited WiFi access in all Airborne Access Hotspots
3. Monthly Service Fee discount from P199.00 to P99.00 monthly for existing pre-registered subscribers.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

1. Subscribers should text REG to 9434 using the Smart Gold/Addict account to be registered in the WiFi promo

2. The password shall be sent to the SMART Gold /Addict MIN/mobile phone of the subscriber within 2 hours upon successful registration.

3. Subscribers will receive an error message for unsuccessful registrations.

4. Within a Hotspot area, the subscriber should access the SMART Gold Airborne Access log-in page where the username and password should be entered. The mobile number is the default username.

5. The log-in page shall display the Terms and Conditions for the service for his/her acceptance. If accepted, the subscriber is allowed to access the internet.

More details at the AirborneAccess website

Cross-posted from NoypEee.

CD-r King iPhone?

2008-06-03T07:15:00.003+08:00

Nah! It's just an "MP4" player from CD-r King that happened to share a form factor with the iPod Touch (if you are drunk and near sighted). At Php 2,380 (a little over $50) you'll get these "exciting" features:

•	Supports MPEG 1, 2, 2.5, layer 1, 2, 3 and WMA format
•	Windows compatible file system as removable drives (FAT 12, 16 and 32)
•	Full 2.8-inch 262K colors Touch TFT screen
•	ID3 tag display showing artist and song title
•	With digital voice recorder
•	Sound equalizer (normal, 3-D, rock, pop, classic, bass, jazz and user EQ)
•	Selected content repeat function (A to B mode)
•	Fast data transfer through USB interface
•	With FM tuner including auto and manual searching channels
•	Supports JPG file format
•	With MIni SD card slot

uMobile Free Service Extended till June 2, 2008

2008-06-02T07:03:00.003+08:00

Well, its June 2, 2008 and it looks like uMobile is not yet ready for primetime because they have extended the original free access for two days now. I wonder where I can buy additional "load" for it?

Although its sad to see the free calls/text/internet go, I'm also excited to see how the other services will go when they go "live".

Great Apple Promo: Free Peripherals!

2008-05-25T12:39:00.002+08:00

From May 27, 2008 to June 7, 2008, Digital Hub will give a free Apple peripheral for each Apple laptop purchased!

They will also give a Php 650 store credit for each iPod purchase.

See details in this post at PhilMUG.

Bullet-point Review: LG KU380 + uMobile

2008-05-22T15:22:00.006+08:00

When Globe subscribers receive uMobile calls, they can't see who is calling... unless the calling party is already in the Globe subscriber's phonebook.
Globe subscribers who receive text messages (SMS) from a uMobile subscriber has a hard time replying.
Free calls from uMobile includes calls to PLDT landlines (until May 31, 2008).
uMobile SIM cards are apparently not compatible with the Apple iPhone (bummer!).
The LG KU 380 is a solid basic 3G handset with just enough features for the casual user -- making it ideal as a "second phone".
Users may synchronize MS Outlook data to the LG KU 380 using the bundled "LG PC Suite".
Using the internet connection facility of the LG PC Suite, one can access the internet at a relatively high speed -- I personally hit at least 400+ kbps download speed when I tested it.

Update:

Bluetooth connectivity between Windows XP and the LG KU 380 works flawlessly.
Internet connectivity using bluetooth works very well using the internet connection program of LG PC Suite.

Update 2:

A comment on my previous post points out the obvious: each ad that a uMobile user receives will earn that subscriber Php 0.50. My take on this? Php 0.50 per ad received is better than Php 0.00 earned each time an SMS SPAM is received in the unholy hours of the night.

Even more later...

Introducing: u Mobile!

2008-05-20T19:08:00.002+08:00

I was lucky enough to snag an invite to last nights launch of the newest telco in the country: uMobile!

The event was pretty exciting and was "designed" for uMobile's target market (young people between 15 and 35). I was also lucky enough to get a free LG KU 380 -- a 3G cellphone! So, what does uMobile have that the other telco doesn't? They reward subscribers who agrees to read ads and take survey with "points" which can then be used as cellphone "load". Early adopters will also be treated to a Php100 load/month from June 2008 to December 2008! Unlike traditional telcos, uMobile does not sell their SIM cards, they instead screen potential users through their websites, making sure that they are within their target market.

To see some pics of the event, head on over to the berniej korni-kels :)

Palm Centro is now Locally Available!

2008-04-17T11:14:00.001+08:00

Palm Philippines - Palm Centro and Treo Smartphones, Handhelds and Accessorie s

Palm Centro is now available locally for Php 17,450 (a little less than $450).

It is available in all colors (as long as its white).

And the world collectively yawn...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Department of Trade & Industry's Online Consumer Complaints

2008-04-17T08:04:00.001+08:00

Got scammed/cheated by a store? Here's a quick way to file a complaint, just surf on over to the DTI Consumer Complaint page and you can complain your heart away against stores that does not honor warraties, does not exchange defective products or simply is cheating you.

I sure hope that this is not another "ningas kugon" project...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

BIR Computer Bogs Down on Last Day of ITR Filing [D'oh]

2008-04-15T15:28:00.001+08:00

The computer system of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) bogged down shortly before noon Tuesday due to the big number of last-minute taxpayers who are trying to beat the deadline for the filing of income tax returns (ITR).

ABS-CBN News Online (Beta)

Haven't BIR heard of the term "Business Continuity Plan"? This is a buzzword worth getting the attention of all agencies of the government. BIR is a big government agency and having a BCP (or at least a viable Disaster Recovery Plan) is a must. Imagine the exasperation of *both* the people filing their ITR and the BIR personnel in this scenario... long lines + hot/humid weather... I won't be surprised to see a commotion at any BIR District Office on the news tonight.

Oh well...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Smart Bro Prepaid: Internet for the Masses?

2008-04-02T08:33:00.002+08:00

Smart Bro

Here's another small step to help bridge the digital divide: an inexpensive way to access the internet via 3G/EDGE/GPRS through Smart Bro Prepaid. Under this scheme, a user gets a wireless modem (actually a "phoneless cellphone") for Php 4,500 (a little over US$100) and "load" it up with prepaid credits. Actual connection charge is at Php10 per 30 minutes of contiuous access -- translating to a little over a dollar for one hour's worth of internet connectivity.

Since this device is dependent on cellular phone signals, users' mileage may vary but for those who does not have a wired dsl connection at home, this may be a viable option considering that there is no monthly dues to pay. The added bonus is that users can use this anywhere there is a SMART signal.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Google TiSP: The Final Frontier in Broadband Technology

2008-04-01T18:02:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Google TiSP

Free and easy Internet connection courtesy of Google!

Sick of paying for broadband that you have to, well, pay for?

Introducing Google TiSP (BETA), our new FREE in-home wireless broadband service. Sign up today and we'll send you your TiSP self-installation kit, which includes setup guide, fiber-optic cable, spindle, wireless router and installation CD.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Nike+ SportBand (- iPod)

2008-04-01T07:13:00.001+08:00

Gadgets: Nike+ SportBand Coming Next Week

Well, it looks like the next Nike+ gadgetry will go out without the iPod. I hope this becomes available locally because I've been wanting to do some running (and tracking it at the same time) but I don't like the iPod Nano that comes with the Nike+.

I wonder if I can make this work with my Eee PC...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

CitiPhone? Will Other Banks Follow Suit?

2008-03-21T09:05:00.001+08:00

FCC Sheds Light on NFC-Equipped Phone from Citi (Phone Scoop)

But given that it does not have a keypad, will other banks use the same design?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

iPhone ver 2.0?

2008-03-18T08:30:00.001+08:00

iPhone 2.0, iPhone 3.0 or iPhone Nano - a clamshell/flip phone? » Unwired View

Is this the iPhone that I've been waiting for?

Based on Apples recent patent application, it might well be!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Kilobyte, Schmillobyte

2008-03-11T10:07:00.001+08:00

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - By Randall Munroe

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Digital Hub Website!

2008-02-26T12:40:00.002+08:00

Digital Hub

The Talkin' Tech-approved tech store now has an online presence! Now I can refer my friends to this website whenever they need Apple gear at low prices. Their after-sales support is topnotch -- headed by an Apple Certified techie -- and their prices are competetive.

Digital Hub's newly opened branch at the Midtown Mall (Robinson's Place Manila) is a veritable Apple Heaven in the old city of Manila -- a must-see place for local Apple fans.

This store offers discount to members of PhilMUG.ph, Podcentral.ph, PinoyMac.org and MaPalad.org.

Blogged with Flock

Back to My Mac!

2008-02-25T07:21:00.001+08:00

Last November, I was lucky enough to be among the first few Eee PC owners. I enjoyed the little beast immensely and by using it, I was able to brush up my "mad Linux skillz". It had been my constant companion for months and I appreciated the fact that I get to carry some of my work with me without the risk of getting scoliosis.

Using my Eee, I was able to download and install Linux programs (a finance manager, a wireless network sniffer, Google Earth, etc.)... something I wasn't able to do with the other Linux boxes I used. I was even able to chronicle my Eee PC experience on a blog called NoypEee. But after 4 months of using my Eee, the downsides of the Eee finally got to me... its small screen, small tackpad and small keyboard took its toll. I'm currently working on a rather massive report which I find too hard to edit on the small screen of the Eee.

But good things never last... yesterday, I sold my Eee PC to my sister.

Now I'm back to working on my old reliable MacBook, which I intend to upgrade to Leopard soon.

As for the proceeds of my Eee PC's sale? I *might* get one of the following: An iPhone or a Nokia E90 or a Nokia N95.

Any suggestions?

Blogged with Flock

HP's UMPC 2133: It's What The MacBook Air Should Be...

2008-02-20T12:48:00.001+08:00

HP's UMPC 2133 revealed - Engadget

My fellow MacHeads at the local MUG may... well... mug me for this but here goes: given its specs and current size (8.9" screen), I think that this is the ultraportable Mac everyone was waiting for, instead of the serving tray called MacBook Air.

There's no word on what processor this little beast will eventually have but given its form factor, and bundled OS (either Vista or Linux) well, it could give the Asus Eee PC a run for its money.

Blogged with Flock

ScamAlert: HSBC Phishing Email

2008-02-18T06:48:00.003+08:00

UPDATE: I tried visiting the link in the email and it looks like HSBC has been proactive in preventing their customers from being defrauded... Kudos to the InfoSec team of HSBC!

If you have an account at HSBC, be aware that there's a phishing email circulating and you *may* get victimized if you are not careful. Here's the email as sent to my email address:

HSBC bank [mailto:mailing.id6015391-6526719167BIB@hsbc.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 3:39 PM
To: talkintech@supersecretemailaddress.com
Subject: Your Account (message ref: 56801240253813)

Dear HSBC Bank customer,

We have implemented security procedures which use reasonable measures to
ensure the security, confidentiality and integrity of Business Customers
Data in our possession and guard against unauthorized access or use.
HSBC Business Internet Banking Form (BIB Form) is one of these security
measures. You should complete BIB Form on a regular basis.
Please complete BIB Form using the link below:

http://bibform.hsbc.com/1/2/3/business/online/business-internet-banking/
form-do?session=85501783505115792959357622166646179968157366168108836291
5&id=840777301
<http://bibform.hsbc.com.losao3.es/1/2/3/business/online/business-intern
et-banking/form-do?session=855017835051157929593576221666461799681573661
681088362915&id=840777301>

This is an automatically generated email and replies will not be
responded to or reviewed.

KU8: 0x4, 0x917, 0x4, 0x7, 0x48818897, 0x1194 source, WA9A, PCK, S7S,
98E, EY71 0x85, 0x638, 0x3, 0x81, 0x9, 0x5, 0x83, 0x77, 0x5, 0x457,
0x228, 0x55, 0x697 999703038762 Y3P2: 0x3, 0x988, 0x6952, 0x23951260,
0x7937, 0x33, 0x20944420, 0x1554, 0x3 EHK: 0x5, 0x424 Z4DN: 0x93172683,
0x0, 0x52, 0x3035, 0x7063, 0x6260, 0x4227, 0x24, 0x2081, 0x665, 0x734,
0x2, 0x43133149, 0x359 C62T: 0x7908, 0x370, 0x39, 0x02437604,
0x13580050, 0x94, 0x580, 0x24, 0x9046, 0x586 0x3, 0x8, 0x5034, 0x8612,
0x3531, 0x2, 0x245, 0x2 engine: 0x3, 0x83, 0x46830546, 0x534, 0x507,
0x7193, 0x9507, 0x2090, 0x01352735, 0x51, 0x69, 0x8, 0x5

UO7R: 0x741, 0x8950, 0x45, 0x19, 0x091 0x36433003, 0x84, 0x10, 0x418,
0x0, 0x551, 0x403, 0x87, 0x5, 0x56011802 0x3202, 0x8, 0x9, 0x44872489,
0x9, 0x3643, 0x03165333, 0x885, 0x91, 0x7713, 0x7453, 0x7192, 0x5015
A8IW, api, A970, media, EX5, hex, engine, 340. hex: 0x0104, 0x33,
0x40517200, 0x273, 0x5, 0x88, 0x40 907121112418261269120460250757
83
0x1644, 0x76, 0x75, 0x713, 0x73979955, 0x34, 0x67, 0x0620, 0x19, 0x0288,
0x2074, 0x58303354, 0x02, 0x45350315, 0x59 TPSI, type, define, HXJ,
stack, 4U3, engine. 0x179, 0x337, 0x216, 0x37, 0x81798806, 0x959 YVW:
0x1359, 0x962, 0x6637, 0x68, 0x9, 0x36415360, 0x7054, 0x317, 0x05, 0x6,
0x74, 0x13864203, 0x445 0x53101770

common: 0x53, 0x5, 0x71314978, 0x6939, 0x19550104 0x891, 0x1741, 0x741,
0x089, 0x261, 0x6, 0x921, 0x13, 0x481, 0x46328659 4FK: 0x33794532,
0x23467082, 0x286, 0x330, 0x52 7YL: 0x9660, 0x267, 0x5, 0x26, 0x573,
0x1, 0x677, 0x2 close 7B07 media BF4G: 0x289, 0x9, 0x89, 0x0, 0x1521,
0x67, 0x94154066, 0x197, 0x129 0x02, 0x20677422, 0x57, 0x20139984,
0x722, 0x2222, 0x780, 0x492, 0x005, 0x55854216, 0x030, 0x761, 0x345 0x1,
0x84722689, 0x3635, 0x697, 0x184, 0x667, 0x94, 0x7280, 0x92, 0x89086859,
0x620, 0x765, 0x1, 0x29 media, I0E. SA1G: 0x4, 0x5, 0x71, 0x9
3534820672707304919547

1393722052816 0x981, 0x66735613, 0x2, 0x571, 0x58803697, 0x2430, 0x18,
0x949, 0x5887, 0x09236030, 0x623 0x44, 0x17707347, 0x846, 0x6155, 0x841,
0x46, 0x68579681 0x97033025, 0x29, 0x29473774, 0x0431, 0x7464, 0x153,
0x62, 0x4, 0x256, 0x344, 0x0, 0x1722, 0x7023, 0x8139

ScamAlert: Phishers Target BDO Clients! (BDO Phishing Attempt)

2008-02-14T07:54:00.003+08:00

I just received news that BDO (Banco de Oro) is now being targetted by an amateurish phishing attempt. I call it amateurish because the phishers did not even attempt to camouflage the URL to their fake password-stealing website.

Here's the email as sent by the phishers:

Banco de Oro is carrying out a new security prevention exercise this season.
We are updating all accounts to our new SSL server to reduce all
risks of Online Fraud.

Please click on Re-activate Your Online Banking to update your account information to the new SSL server.

http://www.aimcomm.org/mambo2/admini...media/bdo.html

Online Banking Security Team
Banco de Oro © 2008.
All Rights Reserved

Talkin' Tech readers... you have been warned!

Good News/Bad News: Kingston SD/MiniSD/MicroSD At Insanely Low Prices

2008-02-05T12:50:00.001+08:00

Kingston Technology Company - Flash Memory - MicroSD Card

Here's the good news: Original Kingston SD/MiniSD/MicroSD cards are available at insanely low prices at Glorieta Activity Center! I got a 2Gb MicroSD for only Php 670 (approximately $16.50).

The bad news is the sale ends today. :( bummer

Blogged with Flock

Talkin' Tech's Cellphone Tiangge

2008-02-04T08:59:00.000+08:00

(Left to Right -- My trusty Treo 650, My new Sony Ericsson Z750i, HTC Touch Dual)

I noticed that my pockets are extra heavy this morning so I took everything out to my table and here's what's been weighing me down today...

I own and use both the Treo 650 and the Z750i. The HTC Touch Dual is a "review unit" for an article/review I am writing for Mobile Philippines magazine.

Google Earth + Sony Ericsson Z750i + bbTracker = Homebrew GPS Goodness!

2008-02-03T10:50:00.001+08:00

A few days ago, I wrote about how I got hooked to the Sony Ericsson Z750i because of its GPS capability. I experimented with it a bit more today and I was really impressed at how it can be integrated with Google Earth and plot my travels/commute.

I did this integration using a 3rd party Java application called bbTracker. bbTracker is a small application that plots a course logged from the Z750i. Pretty useless in itself because it only displays some lines and coordinates on the phone's screen. But bbTracker has a feature that exports the plotted course to a file (either .KML or .GPX format) and that's where the fun begins. With the use of Google Earth, a user can import the file from bbTracker and see where he has been on Google Earth!Just this morning, I walked to my brother's house and used bbTracker. The .KML file I got from it was pretty accurate and I had a kick looking at the path I walked on Google Earth!

Oh, and did I say that this is my new obsession?

Blogged with Flock

[:Mana Energy Potion:]

2008-02-03T08:46:00.001+08:00

[:Mana Energy Potion:] | Buy

This real-world product may boost my MP but what about my HP? And at approximately 140Php a pop ($6.90 list price for a 2-pack), this better boost more than my MP :)

Blogged with Flock

All in the Famil-Eee: More Eee Products Coming!

2008-02-03T08:31:00.001+08:00

Asustek announces Eee family product lines

Asus decides to ride on the success of the Eee PC by announcing more members of the Eee Family:

the E-DT, a monitor-less desktop that could run the now-familiar Eee-nterface. Pegged to be released within the $200-$300 price range.
the E-Monitor, an all-in-one device similar to Apple's iMac. Price is set at $499.
the E-TV, a 42-inch LCD TV integrated with the Eee-nterface set to be priced at less than $200

I am skeptical about the pricing at this point considering how the price of the original Eee PC has increased even before it was released. But I'm still quite excited about this product line. I'm personally waiting for the E-TV :)

Blogged with Flock

The Garmin nuviphone

2008-01-31T15:53:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

A GPS-centric, iPhone-like phone is set to be released on the 3rd quarter of 2008 and its called the Garmin nuviphone.

All I can say is...

ME WANTS ONE!

Blogged with Flock

Pinoy PayPal Users Rejoice!

2008-01-30T09:35:00.001+08:00

PayPal Bank Withdrawal Page - Bank Codes of Major Banks in the Philippines

It looks like local PayPal users can now withdraw from their accounts from their banks!

Blogged with Flock

Uh oh, New Addiction... (GPS)

2008-01-25T07:16:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I bought a new cellphone for my wife, a Platinum Silver Sony Ericsson Z750i. It is a beautiful phone but it has a little "gem" hidden within it -- it is GPS-enabled. I tested out its GPS ccapabilities while driving home and I must say that I'm really impressed at how this phone was a able to triangulate my general location. It even has the capability to correlate my location and plot it through its built-in Google Maps application!

I will be giving turning over this phone to Mrs. Talkintech later today with so much hesitation... I think this little taste of GPS goodness has started a new interest such that I'm starting to shop around for a GPS device of my own.

Lean Green Piracy Machine!

2008-01-24T08:17:00.001+08:00

Solar Powered MP4 Player 2GB - Mobile Power Station [CVEAB-S828-2] - From China

Yet another "MP4" player from China? Well, this one sets itself apart by being "green".

Open this baby up and it reveals a solar charger which can provide a virtually endless loop of songs and video. But wait, there's more!

This monstrosity has a USB port that charges other devices! Oh, and one more thing...

This "MP4" player can also play GameBoy Color and NES (known locally as "Family Computer") games!

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: iVangelism?

2008-01-22T08:26:00.001+08:00

Apple: Steve Jobs Set to Unveil the iChurch? Er, No

Nice eye-catching sign there... does it have the imprimatur of His Jobness?

Blogged with Flock

Macbook Air: The Anorexic Laptop

2008-01-16T07:13:00.001+08:00

Apple - Mac

'nuff said.

Blogged with Flock

MacBook Air: Something WAS in the air and it made me drool

2008-01-16T07:06:00.001+08:00

The Apple Store (U.S.) - Welcome to the Apple Store

Now the upgrade path from my current MacBook is set. This baby should be ready by the time I've paid off my MacBook.

Blogged with Flock

Amethyst Piggy iPod Dock: One Year LATE

2008-01-15T07:06:00.001+08:00

OhGizmo! » Archive » [CES 2008] Amethyst Piggy iPod Dock

in case the manufacturer of this dock has not gotten the memo yet: 2008 is the Year of the Rat!

Blogged with Flock

MacWorld Wishlist #1

2008-01-15T07:00:00.001+08:00

External Hard Drives by NewerTech® - miniStack® v3 for any Mac or PC

Can a local retailer who is attending MacWorld (you know who you are) please bring these babies locally???

Blogged with Flock

Erroneous Philippine Holidays on Google Calendar!

2008-01-14T19:07:00.001+08:00

I wonder who maintains the Philippines Holidays calendar of Google Calendar...

I was planning my family's summer outing this morning when I noticed that April 10, 2008 is flagged as Maundy Thursday. I went directly to April without going through March so I missed that my other calendar (Christian Holidays *and* Philippine Holidays) flagged as Easter Sunday.

Its a good thing that my scheduled out-of-town trip does not depend on the Holy Week but its still annoying to see incorrect holidays in a supposed holidays list.

Just ranting...

Blogged with Flock

Reviving my Treo 650!

2008-01-07T19:20:00.000+08:00

For almost a year now, my Treo 650 was in a "coma" -- it suddenly lost its sound. Being the kuripotechie that I am, I decided not to have it officially refurbished by Palm Singapore. During the time that my Treo was in limbo, it was relegated into an eBook reader/handheld gaming platform.

Until last Saturday... I was able to track down a stall at Goldcrest arcade in Glorieta Makati that repairs Palm PDAs cheaply. I had my Treo 650 fixed and for only Php800, my Treo 650 was fixed! The technician simply replaced my Treo's speakers (which incidentally looks like a watch battery) and the "operation" took less than half an hour.

Now, my Nokia E61i is "resting" while I'm re-acquainting myself with my Treo 650.

And here's a bonus: I was able to HotSync my Treo 650 with my Asus Eee PC. Interested in how I did it? See the step-by-step at NoypEee. :D

Phishing Alert: Citibank Phishing Email

2007-12-26T10:29:00.001+08:00

I just got an email from "CitiBusiness" and here's its content:

From: CitiBusiness [mailto:customer.servicezv864251145.us@citibank.com]
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 12:40 PM
To: talkintech-email-address@somewhere.com
Subject: Citibank: important announce (message id: GZ76187930C)
Importance: High

Dear business customer of Citibank:

Citibank is committed to safeguarding customer information and combating
fraud. We have implemented industry leading security initiatives, and
our online banking services are protected by the strongest encryption
methods and security protocols available. We continue to develop new
solutions to provide our online banking services and their customers
with confidence and security.

The added security measures require all CitiBusiness Online customers to
complete on a regular basis CitiBusiness Form.
Please use the hyperlink below to access CitiBusiness Form:

http://citibusinessonline.da-us.citibank.com/cbusol/usermode/form.aspx?B
CID=6367956656656984789777536474253405994159225403
<http://citibusinessonline.da-us.citibank.com.26bk.ah.cn/cbusol/usermode
/form.aspx?BCID=6367956656656984789777536474253405994159225403>

Thank you for banking with us!

Citibank Customer Support

______________________________

______

0x933, 0x6270, 0x18142679, 0x3, 0x8, 0x72434306, 0x372, 0x48446804,
0x2292, 0x4860 include root 4DS serv 5SUC. 0x0182, 0x20, 0x48, 0x188,
0x547, 0x2, 0x15, 0x25117716, 0x03291685, 0x31, 0x787, 0x27, 0x6059
YUQH: 0x70, 0x9894, 0x100, 0x6, 0x3, 0x02011557, 0x49, 0x016, 0x21 JYZ:
0x514, 0x8, 0x1, 0x14, 0x778 0x294, 0x6, 0x5904, 0x924, 0x3, 0x25939363,
0x281, 0x73362070, 0x30561471 0x9, 0x52, 0x8, 0x264, 0x61, 0x1526,
0x959, 0x3455 0x946, 0x26, 0x558, 0x402, 0x581, 0x74446388, 0x6876,
0x254, 0x93, 0x012, 0x2, 0x272, 0x595 type: 0x50, 0x2598, 0x09,
0x37039281, 0x771, 0x4, 0x59373440, 0x54, 0x92601286, 0x097, 0x91657320,
0x8, 0x393, 0x5, 0x9870

exe: 0x64, 0x196, 0x63164148, 0x1, 0x2988, 0x1302, 0x3673 0x042 0x88,
0x136, 0x40168123, 0x82, 0x5919 5VR type revision 7RZ close update XPX
LTO SZR 0x1, 0x8269, 0x90, 0x62, 0x942, 0x66, 0x7, 0x114, 0x384, 0x9651,
0x6718, 0x1, 0x16515806, 0x86008039, 0x2 5YI6: 0x246, 0x0, 0x894, 0x14,
0x36, 0x9, 0x10, 0x52, 0x54 define ALS start QB2 C8A. 0x68203013, 0x8,
0x16542444, 0x5778 cvs: 0x2253, 0x2344, 0x0112 media: 0x79893960,
0x9529, 0x5, 0x3440, 0x49316345, 0x8, 0x80, 0x18384444, 0x610,
0x06026466

0x531, 0x5, 0x15, 0x0982, 0x64042707, 0x81, 0x9944, 0x5307, 0x231, 0x64,
0x35, 0x2 0x29371963, 0x04, 0x940, 0x031, 0x9, 0x9770, 0x8874 0x46,
0x9714, 0x8738, 0x00, 0x1, 0x7531, 0x435, 0x6, 0x43354088, 0x823, 0x10
stack: 0x486, 0x1529, 0x2, 0x0922 P7QS VHB IHC 9KYP FAN. file:
0x74419007, 0x812, 0x542 update: 0x35087301, 0x29, 0x40771063, 0x518
V2E: 0x271, 0x07113850, 0x3586, 0x5419, 0x7927, 0x25, 0x73, 0x0 stack
hex GA5 tmp 0x26297589, 0x83, 0x0, 0x9582, 0x7919

Alarming isn't it? But wait... this message is not what it seems!

A careful analysis of the sender's email address should set your "spider sense" tingling... normal emails from reputable institutions will not have a long email address such as this: customer.servicezv864251145.us@citibank.com. Then there's the link to their so-called CitiBusiness Form (http://citibusinessonline.da-us.citibank.com.26bk.ah.cn

/cbusol/usermode/form.aspx?BCID=6367956656656984789777536474253405994159225403)
-- a cursory examination shows that the *real* domain of the website is "ah.cn" a web server in China! And lastly, the seemingly random numbers at the end of the message is really suspicious.

A more experienced internet user who finds these suspicious can additionally look at the email header. And a quick look at those headers reveal that the email came from a server named "kurtizanki.com" which masquerades itself as "33emailletters.com.citicorp.com"

So if you receive similar emails, ignore it... better still, simply delete it!

Blogged with Flock

Inquirer.Net: Pasay school sues Microsoft for P100M

2007-12-18T07:08:00.001+08:00

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 08:15:00 12/17/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- A Pasay City school filed Monday a civil case against software firm Microsoft Corp. and its local subsidiary, Microsoft Philippines, for alleged illegal distribution of copyrighted material.

(UPDATE 2) Pasay school sues Microsoft for P100M - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

This is one for books! Microsoft, owner of the most pirated software in the industry is being sued for... Piracy! Well, let's see how they'd react when they get a dose of their own anti-piracy medicine!

Blogged with Flock

Unseen Surfing - Free Anonymous Web Browsing

2007-12-17T19:20:00.001+08:00

Unseen Surfing - Free Anonymous Web Browsing

Here's a handy tip I picked up from one of the on-going threads at PhilMUG . I you think your internet connection is being filtered by your ISP, try viewing websites that you can't access through unseensurfing. My *other* 'net connection at the office is being filtered using a proxy and I can now view sites that are previously blocked.

Blogged with Flock

LOLzor: PC Laptop Successfully Converted into an Apple

2007-12-13T15:43:00.001+08:00

How to convert PC laptops to Apple

This picture cracked me up.

Blogged with Flock

Microwarehouse Year-End Sale 2007!!!

2007-12-12T15:52:00.001+08:00

Microwarehouse Year-End Sale 2007!!! - Page 6 - Philippine Macintosh Users Group

Microwarehouse is having their year-end sale this December 15, 2007 @ Silver City Automall.
It will be a ONE DAY sale event only! Sale is open from 12noon to 12 midnight!

No reservations. Credit card accepted.

Blogged with Flock

GMANews.TV - DOST taps 'TRON' to promote science education

2007-12-11T20:11:00.001+08:00

Seeing the effectiveness of komiks as a medium of instruction, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has tapped the use of the popular printed material to engage students into studying science.

The agency signed a memorandum of agreement with Mango Comics to produce a comic book that will feature TRON, DOST’s cartoon character, in line with the celebration of the department's 50th anniversary.

GMANews.TV - DOST taps 'TRON' to promote science education - Lifestyle - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News - BETA

This smells like a lawsuit waiting to happen from the original owners of TRON.

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: New and Improved Aibo

2007-12-10T11:42:00.001+08:00

Engadget

Dear Santa,

I promise I won't make fun of stupid gadgets if I find this spankin' new Aibo under my xmas tree...

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: Mario Kart Slot Racing

2007-12-08T10:28:00.001+08:00

Mario Kart Go!

Real "live" Mario Kart Racing! w00t!

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: The Gear Clock

2007-12-07T11:09:00.001+08:00

Bits And Pieces - The Gear Clock

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: The Fuelpod

2007-12-06T08:18:00.001+08:00

Cooking Fuel to Oil With FuelPod2 » The Uber-Review

Here's another one for my xmas wishlist: my very own biodiesel reactor. Once I get this, all I'll need is a car with a diesel engine! :)

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: The A-Team Limousine

2007-12-05T15:49:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

Blogged with Flock

Whoa! NoypEee Gets Attention from a French Website!

2007-12-04T20:24:00.001+08:00

I feel honored that somehow, this little project of mine has been mentioned in a French website called PPCCool!

Thanks Silvain_F... or should I say... Merci!

Blogged with Flock

News: Microsoft: Vista piracy rate is half that of XP

2007-12-04T14:07:00.001+08:00

This CNet news item caught my eye while I was scanning through my RSS feeds.

It seems even software pirates hate Vista.

Blogged with Flock

Asus To Release a 3.5G/HSDPA PCIe Card?

2007-12-03T20:30:00.001+08:00

While browsing the Asus Eee PC Support website, I chanced upon an interesting download under "Utilities". The file is entitled "Utility for T500 on EeePC" version 1.0. The file weighs in at around 995.63 Kb and a quick download later, I opened its accompanying documentation. The word document was in Chinese but I found the graphics rather interesting... it shows a picture that says that the program is actually called "Asus Mobile Phone Tool".

A quick Google on the term Asus T500 yielded me results that are more interesting: Apparently Asus T500 is a 3.5G (otherwise known as HSDPA) PCIe Card!

In short, if Asus releases the T500 worldwide, it will give the Eee PC cellphone functions!

Just one question: How the heck would the Eee accomodate the T500 (as shown above)?

crossposted in NoypEee

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: ALEUTIA - The Ultimate Off Grid Computer

2007-12-03T20:09:00.001+08:00

ALEUTIA - The Ultimate Off Grid Computer

A solar-powered computer? I hope Santa sends one my way...

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: iPhone Stylus

2007-12-03T17:47:00.001+08:00

CrunchGear

One question: What's the fricking point?

Blogged with Flock

RIP: Palmgear.com

2007-12-01T17:26:00.001+08:00

More writing on the wall: Palmgear.com, the largest online store of Palm applications, has closed its doors and is now merged with the online store that sells Windows Mobile apps. This means that the market significance of Palm as a hardware, and PalmOS as a software is slowly diminishing? (Do I *really* need to ask this?)

So who says Palm is not dead yet huh?

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Trillianes Fans Club Launched

2007-12-01T17:10:00.001+08:00

Multoply 2007 - Trillianes Fans Club Launched

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: Tea Stick!

2007-11-29T07:40:00.001+08:00

modern kitchen accessory

Well, this is not really a gadget but I'd love to have one of these Tea Sticks handy at the office.

Blogged with Flock

You Ask, NoypEee Answers

2007-11-29T07:23:00.001+08:00

Aja asks:

I've been wanting to have one as well after I've read your (possibly) first post about the Eee PC. If I may ask, is the 4GB model good enough or would the 8GB model (or the second generation models) be worth the wait?

If you intend to use it for writing (documents and/or blogs) *and* you don't replace the built-in OS to WinXP, the 4GB model should be more than enough internal storage. I emphasized the word "internal" because I know that the Eee PC can use USB Flashdrives and external hard drives as secondary external storage.

--------------------

MiGs, on the other hand says:

Maybe your friend still has one left.

i'd love to have one.

I'm not sure if my friend still have stocks of the Eee PC because this little computer is literally selling like puto bumbong! If you are set on buying one, you can visit my friend's brick & mortar store -- Digital Walker at VMall in Greenhills.

Blogged with Flock

LAPTOP Magazine: And the Winner Is...

2007-11-28T08:33:00.001+08:00

OLPC XO vs. Asus Eee PC 701 - LAPTOP Magazine

Laptopmag.com made a head-to-head comparison between the Asus Eee PC and OLPC XO. No need to guess who the winner is (its obviously shown above... duh) but is it a fair comparison?

Blogged with Flock

AIWFX: Mimobot USB Drive -- Star Wars Edition Series 2

2007-11-28T08:04:00.001+08:00

http://www.beprivy.com/em/mi/112707/index.html

What a way to start my AIWFX series -- a set of Mimobot Series 2 USB Drive!

AIWFX = "All I Want For Xmas"

Blogged with Flock

Preparing for My Eee PC

2007-11-27T20:16:00.001+08:00

While driving home this afternoon, my good friend Bogs called me (yeah! I know! Talking on the phone while driving is bad!) to inform me that their Eee PCs are arriving today and if I wanted one, I should have it reserved because there are a lot of people on queue for them *and* he is offering it to me at an price I simply can't refuse/ignore. I told him to give me some time to decide. Upon arriving home, I decided to take the plunge and place my order for the elusive Asus Eee PC -- which is still a rarity in the local market.

If everything falls into place, I'll have my grubby little hands on the Eee PC tomorrow!

I know what I'm going into... I know that my Eee PC is running Xandros and I have no intention of tainting it with Windows (yet). What I *will* do with it once I get it is to install my favorite open-source financial application Gnucash. Anticipating this, I also included a large capacity SD card on my wishlist on my office's traditional "exchange gift". I already have an 80 Gb external hard drive that I'm pretty sure will work with the Eee so I'm pretty much set. The only thing that I *might* need to buy is a suitable bag for it. I've also been lurking around eeeuser.com and I've learned a lot while browsing their forum.

People may ask: why get an Eee PC when you already have a fully functional MacBook *and* iBook? Well, the Eee PC will serve as my digital "companion" whenever I need to travel light. This will especially come in handy during my "car-less" days ("coding" in the Metro Manila, Philippines). Whenever I'm car-less, I lug my MacBook around for around three hours, waiting for the time when I'm free to take my car out of the parking area to get home. With the Eee PC, I won't have to lug my heavy MacBook around the mall. It will also come in handy whenever I need to do a presentation for my clients using its built-in presentation application. Oh, and the my iBook is my "stay-at-home" computer and it is the computer that is being used by my kid (see avatar).

Now, all I need to do is to wait...

Blogged with Flock

Inquirer.Net Reports: Virtual Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2nd Life

2007-11-27T08:18:00.001+08:00

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now literally “in the game.”

Arroyo activated her virtual self called an “avatar” in the Second Life online video game and community as part of the launch of the Philippine National Innovation Strategy in the National Innovation Summit in Makati.Her virtual likeness will sit in the virtual IBM Innovation Center which is also in Second Life.

Arroyo activates virtual self in Second Life - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

How cool is that? She may not be loved by many but this had put her closer to the geek in me...

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Jeep's Concept Renegate

2007-11-26T07:01:00.001+08:00

Engadget

Mass produce it already!

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: The Familator Cartridge

2007-11-25T12:00:00.001+08:00

Engadget

Plug in this bulky NDS add-on and it will let you go on a nostalgia trip to the days of Family Computer gaming!

Blogged with Flock

Cool Citibank (PH) Alert

2007-11-24T19:17:00.001+08:00

Like any other email users, I usually ignore, discard and ultimately delete automated emails from my credit card provider. But a few hours ago, I got this email which I really appreciate:

Dear Cardholder,

Your Citibank Visa had a large debit transaction amounting
to P 44,000.00 on 11-22-2007. Log-on
to Citibank Online to check your account details.

Thank you.
Citibank, N.A.

This transaction was really done by me when I paid for my car's maintenance and repair last week. It would have alerted me if my card was used without my knowledge.

Kudos to Citibank for this system.

Blogged with Flock

Preparing for the Big One (Typhoon Mina/Mitag)

2007-11-23T16:38:00.001+08:00

Storm season arrived rather late this year and one of the (hopefully) last one is a rather big typhoon and it *might* hit my place if things doesn't change. As seen on the satellite picture above, this is not a small weather disturbance and if it does run though my general area, here's some general precautions that I will do:

Make sure that all my gadgets are fully charged -- especially my cellphone, my NDS lite, my laptop and my iPod Touch.
During the storm, unplug all delicate electronics. One will never know if a surge in electricity will hit it.
Make sure that I have enough eBooks loaded on both my cellphone and my iPod Touch -- in case there's a power interruption, reading those eBooks will while away my time.
Make sure all my gadgets are kept in a place where water will not reach them.

It doesn't take a genius to come up with the list similar to the one I made above. I sure hope the storm doesn't do as much damage as the ones that came last year.

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Life Saving Inflatable Bikini

2007-11-23T07:33:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: The Upside Down iPhone

2007-11-22T19:00:00.001+08:00

Engadget

hmmmm... the least Charlie Sheen can do is to turn on the unit before the "take" -- so he'll know which side is up :)

Blogged with Flock

The Filipina Images

2007-11-22T18:07:00.001+08:00

I rarely support causes but I think this website and the idea behind it is a cause worth supporting. A quick google search on the term "Filipina" will show you why I'm supporting this site.

Blogged with Flock

Pic o' The Moment: Kitty pr0n

2007-11-22T15:25:00.001+08:00

Engadget

What could be more cutesy than a Hello Kitty Bluetooth headset?

Blogged with Flock

Dell Counterpunches Asus with the $399 Vostro 1000

2007-11-20T07:15:00.001+08:00

The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

Of course you know, this means war! -- Bugs Bunny

It looks like Dell is not taking the Asus Eee PC's sudden popularity sitting down. As of today, Dell has given its Vostro 1000 model a $310 "instant savings" bringing it the price down from the original SRP of $709 to $399 -- the same pricepoint of the Asus Eee PC 701!

So what will one get for $399 (around Php 18,000)? An AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core processor (clocked at 1.7GHz), Windows XP Home pre-loaded, 15.4" Anti-Glare XGA LCD screen, 1GB Shared dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM, 120 GB Hard drive, 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer capable optical drive and an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150.

The only thing that gives the Eee PC a leg up over this competition is its ultraportability (15.4" Vostro vs. 7" Eee PC), other than that, the Vostro 1000 is a more powerful beast.

No too shabby huh?

Blogged with Flock

No Sweat Mobile Mail (and other iPhone Applications) Installation for the iPod Touch

2007-11-17T11:09:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I took and plunge and upgraded my 16Gb iPod Touch to the latest firmware (1.1.2). Jailbreaking my 1.1.2 upgraded iPod Touch was pretty painless, in fact, the process took less time than my previous jailbreaking activities. Applications that I did not immediately restore are the mobile iPhone applications (Mobile Mail, Mobile Notes, Weather and Maps) because I knew that there may be some incompatibility issues considering that the files I have of those apps were still version 1.1.1.

But this morning, I revisited the Touchdev wiki and saw that there's an easier way to install the iPhone mobile apps. This involves adding a new software repository to Installer.app and once that new repository is recognized, 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 iPhone applications will be available for automatic download and installation!

Now, my iPod Touch is back to its old usable state and I couldn't be happier!

Happy hacking!

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Chewie Backpack!

2007-11-17T07:20:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

This has a special place in my Chrismas wishlist this year. And this officially starts my Pic 'o The Moment Christmas Wishlist Edition.

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Cellphone Strap Doubles as USB Connector

2007-11-16T10:25:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: iPod Explodes, Encased in Carbonite?

2007-11-14T07:14:00.001+08:00

[An error occurred while processing this directive] - Exploded iPod

Blogged with Flock

Eee PC Press Launch

2007-11-13T18:22:00.001+08:00

I just came from the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, where Asus held a rather intimate Press Launch for their Eee PC. I was lucky enough to be sent by my good friend, the Doodler, to the event and I was able to hold (or rather fondle) the Eee PC.

As expected, the units they had on display were running Linux but the casual user *may* not even know the difference considering that the default desktop of the Eee PC is configured like the Windows of yore (think Windows 3.x). Yes, it felt like playing with a computer from the mid 80's. But reading around the 'net, I know that there is an option to convert the desktop to a so-called "advanced" mode. In Advanced mode, the Eee PC will look and feel like the usual Linux computer... something that I'm pretty familiar and comfortable with. The unit available for sale starting November 18, 2007 is the variant with the 4 GB storage and 512Mb RAM. I asked them if it is possible to upgrade the RAM to at least 1GB and they said that it is possible only if done through the local authorized Asus repair center (whoopee!).

The presentation of the Eee PC was pretty comprehensive. They underscored how small and handy the unit is. As shown in the picture above, the Eee PC weighs less than a Harry Potter book. They even showed a video clip where the brought the the Eee PC to a pre-school and how the kids there *BUT* a quick search on the internet shows that the people who are most interested with the Eee PC are not kids (nor the harried housewives that they also show) but mostly adults who are sick of lugging around their heavy laptops. My unsolicited advice to the local Asus marketing team that's handling the Eee PC: take care of that segment!

I played with the Eee PC on display for a while and the more I played with it, the more I got I got convinced that I want one for myself. But I guess I'll have to wait because according to their marketing person, Nina, there is a queue waiting for the Eee PC.

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Butt Nekkid Computer!

2007-11-13T07:46:00.001+08:00

Nude computer - no case, no cooling, no shame

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: MBR Love Letter

2007-11-12T07:40:00.001+08:00

Boing Boing

Click on the pucture above to see the whole "story"

Blogged with FlockC

AFP: Yet Another Way to Add Files to your iPod Touch/iPhones

2007-11-12T07:03:00.001+08:00

The original way of putting files on the iPod Touch/iPhone is using command line SFTP (Secure FTP). This method is efficient but not well-received by the community (who wants to use command-line interface anyway). Then there's the method of using Cyberduck or FUGU, an easier way because of its graphical nature.

Now TUAW reports that someone has found a way to use AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) to work on the iPod Touch/iPhone! IMHO, this is the better way to transfer files to your iDevice because it does not involve using a 3rd party application on your Mac (for Windows users... I think they can find a way to use this too).

I can't wait for this to become available in Installer.app so I can give it a spin.

Blogged with Flock

Apple Releases iPhone Firmware Update 1.1.2: Hackers Keeps Up

2007-11-09T14:53:00.001+08:00

TUAW reports that the dreaded firmware 1.1.2 update for the iPhone is ready for release. According to the report, 3rd party applications for the iPhone (and presumably the iPod Touch) has been disabled and all hacks based on the .TIFF exploit used to hack the older iPhone (and iPod Touch) firmware has been plugged.

The good news: the security flaw on the iPhone/iPod Touch has been fixed. This means that any malware that exploits the .TIFF vulnerability of Mobile Safari is kept at bay.
The bad news: the security flaw on the iPhone/iPod Touch has been fixed. This means all 3rd party applications that are available for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch is now rendered useless (unless owners does not update their devices).

And now for a Good-er news: TUAW later reports that the jailbreak for the iPod Touch's 1.1.2 firmware update is already in the pipeline. I guess it will just be a matter of time before the same happens for the iPhone.

I guess there's no stopping the iPhone/iPod Touch hacking community then

Graphics grabbed from TUAW.com

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: The iPad (or the MacBook Touch)

2007-11-07T07:08:00.001+08:00

Gizmodo

Whatever this Apple product is called, I'm sure the Mac Fanboys out there are already foaming in the mouth and starting to save their money to be among the first to finger Apple's upcoming(?) Tablet PC.

Breaking news: According to Asus (Apple's OEM manufacturer for their portable computers), it is indeed real! But I'm still taking this with a grain of salt (weighing 1 kilo).

Blogged with Flock

Bad News for the Zune Guy

2007-11-06T14:05:00.001+08:00

I guess this fellow will need to have one of his tattoos removed (or at least retouched) because Microsoft is changing the Zune's tagline. From "Welcome to the Social", the Zune's new tagline will be "You make it you". This is according to paidcontent.org.

I wonder how he is related to the Comicbook Guy from my favorite TV show?

Blogged with Flock

gPhone: Google Introduces Android

2007-11-06T06:58:00.001+08:00

Engadget reports that Google has finally announced, not the much hyped gPhone but a Google phone operating system dubbed as "Android". As expected, Android will work well with Google services and the new Open Handset Alliance made up of (obviously Google and a few handset manufacturers) are expected to release Android-based phones in the very near future.

Will this pose a serious threat to Windows Mobile and the iPhone? And yes, this is definitely another nail in the coffin of Palm (as a mobile phone OS).

More details about "Android" in the YouTube video below.

Blogged with Flock

Pic 'o The Moment: Steampunk Pac-Gentleman

2007-11-04T16:20:00.001+08:00

Boing Boing

Blogged with Flock

Asus Eee PC Is (almost) Here!

2007-11-04T11:54:00.001+08:00

Welcome to PC Corner Online

And personally, it's three weeks late. I mean if the Asus Eee PC was made available three weeks ago, I would have gotten one in a blink (instead of the iPod Touch). But Asus will still get my money. I'll get one once my "gadget budget" gets released in a few week's time.

Those who were lucky enough to get their grubby little hands on this sucker has mixed reviews. But the good news is that it other (unsupported) apps can be installed to it.

I hope my good friends at HIP gets me a review unit soon. :)

Blogged with Flock

gOS: Linux Going Mainstream Soon?

2007-11-04T11:10:00.001+08:00

gOS

This is what's running under the hood of the $200 PC being sold at Wal-Mart, the gOS. Based on Ubuntu Linux 7.1, gOS can be considered as the much hyped GooglePC from years ago. Most of the pre-loaded apps are based on Google Lab's products and that's not such a bad thing... *if* you have a DSL connection to constantly access these products. But for those unfortunate enough not to have a DSL connection, there's the ubiquitous (at least on Linux installations) OpenOffice.Org which has all the essentials such as a very capable word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software.

With this out in the wild, will this mean a higher penetration rate for Open Source Software?

Blogged with Flock

The TechnoJologs-ification of Apple

2007-11-03T10:55:00.001+08:00

I'm a fairly recent Mac convert. My first personal Apple product was a G3 iBook 800 and that was just the start. Since the iBook, I've also bought a 3rd Gen iPod, an Apple AirPort Express, a 1st Gen iPod Shuffle, a MacBook and my latest (but certainly not the last) Apple product purchase was the iPod Touch.

Back when I got my first Apple laptop, local usage of the platform was virtually nil, there was a small group of loyal Apple users and most of them converge on either PhilMUG.ph and Pinoymac.org. These people were a good group to hang out with. They freely share what they know on the platform (mostly OS X and iPod/iTunes). Owning an Apple product back then was like belonging to an elite group of computer literate who also excel in their own fields of endeavor -- there are a number of business owners, Palanca award winners, top Photographers, etc.

But it all went downhill when Apple opened up iPod/iTunes to the Windows platform. Non-Apple users started using the iPod and as an effect, also tried out using Apple computers. A lot of those who did try using Apple's computers (and OS X) ended up buying their own and that's when it started -- the TechnoJologs-ification of the local Apple userbase. This was exacerbated by the introduction of the iPhone.

New users in the local Apple user groups started asking about where to get "pirated" software for their Macs. They attempted to start threads on where to download bootleg software via torrents. Some even had the audacity to ask support for their pirated software! The introduction of the iPhone magnified this phenomenon as new (and clueless) iPhone users starts asking stupid questions over and over and over again.

I might sound like a cranky geek here (apologies to the ultimate Cranky Geek John C. Dvorak), but the feeling that I had when I first had my grubby little hands on an Apple computer is gone. The exclusivity is gone, the civil conversations at the Apple User Groups are over and... well, everything has gone, well, frankly, Jologs.

Well, I think I'll revert back to uber-geekiness and buy myself an Asus Eee PC next and hopefully, these technojologs won't follow suit.

Blogged with Flock

Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka): Global Ambassador for OLPC

2007-11-02T06:58:00.001+08:00

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Masi Oka, star of NBC’s hit ensemble drama series “Heroes” will serve as global ambassador for One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization launched in 2005 with a mission of providing a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. In his role as OLPC ambassador, Oka will appear in public service announcements – both online and on television – to promote the importance of empowering children with learning tools and Internet connectivity.

Business Wire: public relations, press release distribution, investor relations, SEC filing

Hmmm, who better to serve as the global ambassador for the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project than a TV nerd? I think this is a nice choice!

So that's what he has hidden in the messenger bag he has in the picture shown above :)

Blogged with Flock