Chaos in the internet from the Taiwan Quake

Today is the 2nd day since my internet connection has been unstable. At first I thought there was something wrong with my ISP (Globelines Broadband), but after trying (in futility) calling their "hotline" which even after 30 min no one answered, I was able to connect to PhilMUG website, it was there that I found out what happened. And from that time onwards my connection was sloooooooow and intermittent, even if my modem says otherwise.

It has been just now that I am able to connect to Gmail and Yahoo! Mail, my only source of information online for the past 2 days was Inq7.net and the local users groups (which at times becomes intermittent). In a few minutes I will try to log into Yahoo messenger, hoping that it will connect to servers.

So far, Google is still not loading on my side and Yahoo mail is still dragging. Though Engadget has been loading since the beginning of this crisis.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2006

Merry Christmas to all of you!!! May we have a Wonderful Holidays!

Microsoft Redesigned Website

Software giant has redesigned their website to look and feel like it's up and coming operating system that will replace Windows XP, the sleek looking, and long been delayed Windows VISTA.

Changing Wireless Keyboard

I changed my wireless keyboard from an A4tech Wireless Mini-desktop Keyboard and Mouse set to a Logitech Cordless Desktop EX110. Some may say that it's impractical since my A4tech keyboard and mouse combo is still working, but it's a mini-keyboard and it's giving me a hard time to type and use it. Thus, the reason to change units. Now this is a wonderful keyboard and mouse because it's full-sized and no more adapting when using other normal sized keyboards and mouse.

Also, the multi-media keys are working fine on VISTA (all the while I thought I will have some problems with the software side) but when I tried to use the special keys and it all worked. So far I'm enjoying the new toy.

BitTorrent acquires uTorrent

BitTorrent has bought popular torrent client uTorrent, here's there post to the uTorrent forum:

This is Bram Cohen, the creator of the BitTorrent protocol, and Ludvig (Ludde) Strigeus, the writer of µTorrent.

Together, we are pleased to announce that BitTorrent, Inc. and µTorrent AB have decided to join forces. BitTorrent has acquired µTorrent as it recognized the merits of µTorrent's exceptionally well-written codebase and robust user community. Bringing together µTorrent's efficient implementation and compelling UI with BitTorrent's expertise in networking protocols will significantly benefit the community with what we envision will be the best BitTorrent client.

What does this mean for the µTorrent community? Not much, at least not at first. The intention is to maintain the website as it is, and keep the forums and community active. Moving forward behind the scenes, we will continue to develop µTorrent and will be using the codebase in other applications, especially ones where a fast, lightweight implementation is more suitable, such as embedded systems on TVs, cell phones, and other non-PC platforms.

The existent µTorrent and BitTorrent communities are immensely valuable to us, which is why we are announcing this here first to make sure you're all the first to know about the news. The plan is to continue to foster the health and growth of the community that has been critical to the success of µTorrent. Thank you in advance for your support.

Bram and Ludde

Palm licenses Palm OS Garnet Source Code -- So that's why!

ACCESS has announced it has entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Palm, Inc., that gives Palm a perpetual license for the Palm OS Garnet source code. ACCESS and Palm have also agreed to an expansion of the two companies’ existing patent license. Palm will pay ACCESS a total of $44 million (USD). Under terms of the agreement, ACCESS has granted Palm specific rights to modify the code base of Palm OS Garnet for use in its devices such as the Palm Treo smartphone family and the company’s other handheld computers. The agreement also grants Palm the right to use Palm OS Garnet in whole, or in part, in any product from Palm and together with any other system technologies. -- Palminfocenter

So this is the reason why! Me and my friends at MaPalad (The Philippine Palm Users Group) has been wondering why, Palm Inc. the hardware company has placed Palm OS Powered by ACCESS in their website for their handhelds.

Well, it only strengthens the theory that Palm is not dumping the Palm OS for Windows. But, it also tells us that Palm OS Garnet (Palm OS 5) is here to stay and the supposed Palm OS Cobalt and the ALP (Access Linux Platform) which I'm convinced, will be renamed as the next Palm OS 6, is still far away.

I hate my new MODEM/ROUTER

Lat week, I had upgraded my DSL plan to something like, 2Mbps. Globelines changed the Alcatel Speedtouch 511e to a PROLINK H9300G, a wireless modem/router. I guess the change is because they are now into ADSL2+. Although I don't have anything against the router/modem, it hasn't failed me yet since it was installed. The only thing that I hate about it is it's looks. Though plastic is plastic, and most routers have plastic casings, the one that PROLINK uses is the cheap looking one. I don't know, for me, the router looks like it's un-reliable (again, I'm just ranting because I don't like how it looks). What it replaced (unofficially) is a Speedtouch 580i, a wireless modem/router as well but the type of plastic used was more on the firm and stable side. I just don't like how the PROLINK looks, IT LOOKS CHEAP!!!!

Mobile Broadband or Fixed landline Broadband?

Globe's latest offering of their HSDPA mobile broadband service is very tempting, for P2000.00 one can have broadband anywhere he/she goes. That is, if they have a notebook and enough power to last for whenever.

My dilemma is that, I am a subscriber of Globelines Broadband (with a landline phone) and Globe Handyphone, so basically, I'm a Globe "subscriber". I'm shelling out almost P3000.00 for both the MSF of the landline and the DSL connection, which gives me unlimited "2Mbps" internet connection 24/7. But whenever I go out, say go to work, I still have to either get a WIZ password from my Globe Handyphone (this is built in anyway) or pray that I still have enough credits for the month from my Globe WorldPass account (which is incidentally P250.00/month - consumable).

But with Globe's Mobile Broadband service, I can have around "1.7Mbps" wherever I go (as long as there is a 3G signal) and other services as well like:

Unlimited mobile access via HSDPA, 3G, EDGE, GPRS

Unlimited Wi-Fi* and Dial-up

A Mobile browsing data card*** + data SIM for FREE!

I'm wondering now if it would be best to get another subscription (that's another P2000.00 on top of the P3000.00 that I'm shelling out monthly for the DSL subscription) of Globe Visibility or stick with WorldPass .

The New Treo 680 -- Not so Affordable after all

Looks like the new Treo 680 won't be as affordable as everybody had expected. It's debut in the Philippines has it at P29,800 (from the Philippine Palm website). A few more bucks and you've got the Treo 650 Black Tie edition already. It's approximately P10,000 more than what the US Palm Website is offering.

Others are arguing that it's just in the right price range, considering the software available in the Palm libraries, then perhaps it's worth it. But others say that it's short-changing the consumers. With only a VGA camera in a time where megapixel cameras are all over the place. No WiFi, in almost the same price range the SonyEricsson P990 has WiFi and a megapixel camera at that. Then of course, the aging operating system. This has not been updated for years and Palm has just been tweaking it for survival.

I guess the antennae is worth P6000.00 huh? Because other than moving some of the buttons and slots around, slapping in a little bit more RAM, and chopping off the antenna, it's just the Treo 650 in disguise.

Opera Mini 3.0 Released

For those Opera fans out there. Opera Mini, the versatile web browser that can be installed in any mobile phone that is JAVA capable, has released version 3. Now RSS feeds can be easily added and Photo blogging has been made easy. 
To download, just point your WAP browser to http://operamini.com

RP approves cervical cancer vaccine

RP approves cervical cancer vaccine
By Oliver Teves
Associated Press
Last updated 07:35pm (Mla time) 11/29/2006

THE Bureau of Food and Drugs has approved a vaccine to combat the virus that causes cervical cancer and related diseases, an official of the company that distributes the drug said Wednesday.

The vaccine, Gardasil, is designed to prevent diseases caused by four strains of the human papillomavirus -- HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 -- with HPV 16 and 18 accounting for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, said Dr. Cesar Recto II, medical director for Merck Sharp & Dohme.

The vaccine also prevents genital warts and low-grade cervical lesions in girls and women ages 9 to 26, Recto said, adding that an ongoing study is aimed at expanding the coverage of the vaccine to benefit "mid-adult" women.

The Philippine Cancer Society says 7,277 cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2005, when 3,807 deaths were recorded from the disease.

In June, the U.S. government approved Gardasil, which needs to be administered over a six-month period, costing US$360 per course of treatment.

A spokeswoman for Merck Sharp & Dohme said the vaccine will be available in the Philippines for about P15,000 (US$306) but will be dispensed only by doctors and will not be available over the counter.

US-based drug company Merck & Co., which developed the vaccine, is known as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US.

Democracy Player -- my Favorite of the Month

I just downloaded and installed Democracy Player after some time of contemplating. I usually use VLC Media Player and has been satisfied with it. But, I also watch Video Podcasts from iTunes, which, after installing the latest iTunes version 7, has not been quite an enjoyment. Then I found out about Democracy. After installing it, and viewed a stored TV series in my HDD, it immediately took me away.

With VLC on Windows Vista, every time I would open an .avi file, Vista would change the display settings which should really not be bothersome had it not take a lot of RAM space. With Democracy Player, the Vista video settings remains untouched, meaning, it keeps the Aero interface.

With regards to iTunes comparison, Democracy Player would download and play Video Podcasts and plays it seamlessly. iTunes 7 is the buggiest iTunes so far and whenever I play podcasts on it, my RAM usage shoots beyond the meters on my PC.

Hopefully thought, Democracy will not fail me.

ANC using Globelines Broadband

The other day I was watching the ANC channel, it's a Business update and a reporter was at the Philippine Stock Exchange giving updates on the financial market, when at the bottom of the screen, it says that they are using Globelines Broadband to transmit that report to the station. I wonder why ABS-CBN is not using their sister company's (Bayantel) network to transmit their signal. I guess the telecom industry is a bit confusing.

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I don't see see point of their argument

    AFTER public discussions on the House bill on free and open source software (FOSS), the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) urged lawmakers to “step back” and rethink its position, the organization’s leader said.“As the representative organization of the Philippine software industry, the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) strongly opposes House Bill 5769, the Free Open Source Software Act of 2006, as sponsored by House Representative Teodoro Casiño,” PSIA president Fermin Taruc said in an e-mail to INQ7.net.
   
“Government has no business or expertise mandating the use of one technology platform over the other. Are they crazy!!!! What do they mean that the Government doesn't have any business mandating the use of Open Source software? This just show how GREEDY these software companies are. They say that the Government must not force people to use Open Source software and yet, they BULLY and DICTATE the progress of each and every company that uses their software.

"Government’s role is to partner with the private sector in providing the environment and business framework in which innovation, creativity and freedom of informed choice can thrive, especially in the area of technology which is characterized by dynamism and disruptive change,” he said in behalf of the PSIA.Taruc said mandating the use of open source software in government is nothing but “myopic” and “a disservice to both users and developers of software -- as well as to the Filipino people. -- I don't think it's the Government that is being Myopic here. This is a lot of bullshit, are these people undermining the capabilities of Open Source software programmers? Using Open Source software will definitely save the Government a lot of money than using their software. Open Source softwares are more stable and offers the same functionality as the paid ones.

”PSIA fears that the bill will “compromise” the local software industry's target to generate revenues and employment for the country by 2010.

“By limiting government agencies to a technology platform, government prevents a level playing field in which various technology providers can compete and establish an experience and revenue base in the domestic market," it said.
"In this context, imposing restrictions on what kind of training can be offered defies all logic and reason," the group said.

RP software association opposes open source bill - INQ7.net

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Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows

Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows is out! Now has some major upgrades to the user interface and added nifty features that will be very helpful for users.

Skype now has browser extensions for Internet Explorer and Firefox. You can choose at install time if you want to install these or not. They automatically convert phone numbers on web pages into Skype links. You can simply click them and Skype starts a SkypeOut call to that number.

Introducing Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows - Skype Blogs

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Firefox 2.0 Spell Checker

Ever since Firefox has been launched, it has become my primary browser of choice. Before, not because of anything else, but simply because of it's very neat feature, the tabbed browsing. This keeps my desktop neat and uncluttered. Now, it's on version 2.0 and still retains (of course) it's tabbed browsing feature, but this time, it has added a feature that has caught my attention, Spell Checker. Before, I only see this feature on Word processors such as MS Word and OpenOffice, but now, with the advent of online office suites and blogs, spell checker within a browser has become a very useful tool. Although this feature may have been present in some other application that I have been using for a while, with Firefox's spell checker, I don't have to dig into the menus to find it. It's just there and it works. One good reason to download Firefox 2.0. Enjoy!

DivX Suite NOT working on VISTA RC2

Last night, I downloaded DivX Pro 6.4 to see if it will really shrink the file size of my home movies (which incidentally is taking up too much space in my HD), today I decided to try it out. I choose a small file ( around 650MB ) to convert, you know, just to get the feel of it and would give me an approximate time of conversion. But after maybe a couple of minutes of converting, VISTA suddenly reports an error and that DivX converter is not functioning properly. I re-tried it a couple more times and just like the first one, it stops and gives me that error report. Well, I guess I just have to wait until these programs are VISTA compatible.

Vista Sidebar OUT!!!!

It's been almost a month since I've installed Windows VISTA on my WinBox and it's been the same time I've resisted installing Yahoo! Widgets (Konfabulator), but after a while I decided to turn Windows Vista Sidebar off and stay with Yahoo! Widgets. Though it's basically the same, I like Yahoo! Widgets better in appearance and variety. I've more choices with Yahoo! Widgets than with Sidebar. Oh and Widgets hug less memory than Sidebar.

2nd Windows Vista update in 2 days

What's this? It's early in the morning and it's just a few hours after the first update I had after installing VISTA in my WinBox and the Windows Update icon is present again on the taskbar and is downloading update files. I wonder what could these updates be. 

iTunes updates itself to 7.0.2

iTunes has an available update which offers support for the new iPod Shuffle and fixes some bugs that still lurk within the music program.

iTunes 7 is the buggiest of all iTunes released.

AVG Free will not be FREE anymore

STAY PROTECTED: Your AVG Anti-Virus Free 7.1 will be discontinued on 15. January 2007!

This is what is posted in the AVG website. Looks like they've caved in and is very typical of these usual FREE offerings in the internet.

AVG is a very capable anti-virus software, ever since I used it, virus has been inexistent in my PC. But with this turn of events, it looks like PC users will now have only AVAST and KASPERSKY for their FREE anti-virus needs.

The reason why I don't use the very famous NORTON anti-virus is because of the simple reason that it's a memory hog and has a very big footprint. Besides, there are free alternatives that are as effective as NORTON.

UPDATE: MY BAD -- looks like I didn't read the notice that clearly, but thanks to Mgee (reader), who pointed out that only version 7.1 will be removed from the FREE option and would instead be replaced with version 7.5.

AVG Anti Virus: Stay protected with AVG 7.5

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Google acquires JotSpot

Wiki editor JotSpot is now part of the Google empire. When I opened my local internet news, I read that JotSpot, the wiki editor which offers Office suite online, was acquired by Google. Then when I opened my email, there was an email from JotSpot, informing me of the acquisition (being a registered user of JotSpot).

Before the Google acquisitions, there JotSpot was one of the companies that offer collaboration softwares like spreadsheets and word processors in the form of wikis. The other company that offer the same form of collaborative application was Writely, which are now both been acquired by Google.

If one will closely look at these actions of Google, it is very obvious that the big G is planning to monopolize all of the online office applications to directly face Microsoft's Office suite. Now this is competition.

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New Packaging for Windows Vista and 2007 Office System

Here are some pictures of the supposed "new" packaging for Windows VISTA and Windows Office 2007. Much like the software that they will be carrying inside, these packages looks sweet and very much of an eye candy.

Here are the pictures:

OmniPage Pro 15 not VISTA compatible

Looks like Nuance's OmniPage Pro 15 still has issues to iron out with Microsoft. I got myself an OmniPage Pro 15 to complement my new all-in-one printer (Brother DCP-115c), this after upgrading the supplied software PaperPort 9 to PaperPort 11, all were developed by ScanSoft now owned by Nuance. PaperPort 11 works fine but Windows Vista RC2 gave me a prompt at the start of OmniPage Pro 15 installation. Well, I guess I'm stuck with the built-in OCR of PaperPort 11.

Out-of-the-box: Brother DCP-115C

Ok, finally I've decided to retire my EPSON CX20 (which for that matter, decided for itself after not being detected by the PC, which from my research, EPSON printers are known for) and my Plustek EPP scanner (which I might say has been very cooperative all thru different Windows versions).

Today, I got myself a Brother DCP-115C. After long hours of convincing myself to get an all-in-one printer. Why this one? Well, I was choosing between, an HP, an EPSON, this one and a CANON Pixma MP160. the CANON definitely wins in the looks division, but much like an HP it falls on the ink price and practicality since it uses a tri-color cartridge, which at this point in time is not advisable. HP, Brother, EPSON wins in photo-printing, though I must admit that I'm very much biased for HP. EPSON and Brother on the other hand wins on the practicality side, both using an individual cartridge for it's inks. And of course the price, all of these printers are on the same price range but the Brother was a bit ahead on the features, for it has card-readers built-in (aside of course from the usual scanner, copier, printer modes).

Here are some pictures of the unboxing of the printer:

A CD/DVD burner for VISTA

Ever since I've installed Windows Vista (Beta, RC1 and RC2), I was limited to the built-in burner software or ImageBurn for my burning needs. Though these are capable softwares, there was still that void that I've been feeling. So I decided to try out NERO, but even after a "successful" install, whenever I launch it, it simply closes and VISTA gives me an error of "incompatability". Then I tried ROXIO, I thought it was ok, until at the end of installation, another error, something was missing from the installation file or something was corrupted. Then I decided to give it another try, this time, I copied it to my internal drive (since I kept it in my external drive). So lo and behold, it installed and is now running. Was able to burn an ISO image from it already. Whew!

Finally...a MOVIE from Windows Movie Maker

At last, I was able to create a movie from WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER. 

This is after years of wishing that I would be able to transfer my home videos into DVD, but eversince I was not satisfied with the quality of the movies that are produced. But after some tweaking I was able to make it and to consider I am using it in Windows Vista. Now to look for those old miniDV tapes and start the transfer.

ABS-CBN and INQ7 sleeping together?

Recently I've noticed that ABS-CBN news website has the same (almost identical) news to those found in INQ7.net Previously, most of the news came from either the news people of ABS-CBN or from their alliance with MANILA TIMES. INQ7 being partly a GMA network company, don't you think now it's odd (although not impossible) that rival networks are sharing the same stories?

Everybody's using iTunes? Maybe they should try out Songbird

Is it just me or most people with a computer has replaced their default music player from Windows Media Player and Winamp to iTunes? Well, I've observed it that even those who does not own an iPod has iTunes installed in their computers and are using it as their default music player.

Incidentally, in case you're one of the iTunes user that I'm talking about. Haven't you observed that iTunes7 would sometimes hug most of the resources of your RAM and Processor while surfing the net simultaneously? Well, a group of individuals built a Music Player that looks somewhat like iTunes but with a twist, it has a built-in browser in it. The browser is not just your typical browser, it's made from Firefox inards. And they called it SONGBIRD

Why not try surfing and listening to your favorite tunes at the same time with just one application open. The only gripe I have with SONGBIRD is it lacks the ever-famous Firefox feature, tabbed browsing. Hopefully, the developers would include it in the final release.

The "new" Yahoo! Mail (beta)

As a techie, as much as possible, I would like to be one of the early adapters, but sometimes, it gets the most out of me. IN the case of Yahoo! Mail (beta), well, yeah it's got a nice UI, but it's sloooooowwwwww! And most of the time, it hugs the resources of my web browser. Well, I guess that's what I get for trying out a BETA service. Nonetheless it's the only gripe that I have for the moment.

INQ7.net News?

Recently, INQ7.net has not been very updated with their "news". Only the Headlines are updated while the other stories are left in their old states.

Is this a ploy to make the reading public back into physical newspaper or the webmasters are just upgrading to something larger and better?

My Desktop

Ok, so this is how my desktop looks at the moment. It's on Windows VISTA RC2 (of course running AERO/GLASS interface). I've added the free ObjectDock for some Mac look although I don't think it's going to stay there for long.

Palm has announced it's "competitively" priced smartphone that will be the cheaper version of the Treo 650. The Treo 680 is a Palm OS powered GSM/GPRS/EDGE smartphone. It now lacks the antenna but features an internal antenna instead and a hardware design similar to the Treo 750v.

It is powered by Palm OS Garnet v5.4.9. It runs a 312 MHz Intel processor and has 64MB of user available storage memory and 64MB of SDRAM. The screen is a 320 x 320 pixel color touch-screen display. The 680 features a full size SD slot for memory expansion. It has a slimmer 1200 mAh rechargeable battery for up to 4 hours talk time. Bluetooth v1.2 wireless and IR are included as well as a VGA digital camera (Palm's way of bringing down the price).

The phone is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Class 10 device and has a internal quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) antenna.

An unlocked version of the Palm Treo 680 will be made avaiabe with four different color options exclusively from Palm.com or Palm Cafe retail locations. The colors include graphite, copper, article and crimson.

Now I wonder, which one to get. The Treo 680, the Sony Ericsson K800 or the Nokia E61. Soooo many choices.

Installing VISTA RC2

I'm currently installing WINDOWS VISTA RC2 on my desktop.

Thanks to my external drives, I don't have to worry that my files/documents will get lost, by keeping one hard drive only for the OS and programs, I can install and re-format my PC as often as I like.

One of the downside is, I have to reinstall my programs. Oh, not to worry though, I've kept copies of these programs in my other hard drive and all I have to do is to double-click them to intall and that's it. I'll be waiting for some time before I could really give out an opinion on VISTA. But so far, with my experience with RC1, all I can say is, it's eye candy. Most of my programs work, but I'm having problems with networking, and those pop-up warnings are too annoying!!!!

UPDATE 1: I've said before this is the fastest Windows Install that I've ever done. The user inputs are right at the beginning of the installation process and after that it's all done. Now I'm waiting for it to update the performance settings.

UPDATE 2: Ok, I can't seem to find the AERO/GLASS option even though I have completed the requirements for it to run, still waiting for some changes. I had my 1st restart after the install. Oh and when I installed a new version of the Computer Associates Anti-Virus it cannot install on a VISTA machine, good thing I have a copy of the previous EZ-Trust software.

UPDATE 3: Finally, was able to load AERO/GLASS. After all the tweakings, all I have to do was to update the RATINGS of my system. Sheez!

UPDATE 4: There's a drawback in buying cheap peripherals, you don't get driver support from Windows VISTA hehehe. That's what I found out when I was installing the cheap Bluetooth USB dongle I bought at CD-R KING. Good thing I still have my trusty BILLIONTON Bluetooth Dongle and yup, as I've guessed it, VISTA recognized it. Now the next thing is to make my VEO Webcam work.

Blogger Widget acting up

Just checking if this widget is still acting up. It's been sometime after I posted from this. Well, I guess it's working. Back to the regular posting then hehehehe

A Humbling Milenyo Experience

During the 3 days of TOTAL NO POWER caused by storm MILENYO, I has some sort of "withdrawal" syndrome from technology. I checked my email and read news from my SE K600i mobile phone (good thing Globe did not lose signal in our place during the storm and post-storm event).

I charged my phone and the iPod from the cigarette socket in my car. In the span of those non-technology days, I was reliant on Opera Mini in my mobile phone. It's been very interesting how it render the usual web page into a small screen-size such as the K600i. Also Widsets were a lot of help when it comes to reading my usual Tech-sites such as Endgadget and Gizmodo.

Installing Windows Vista Beta

Ok, I know, but the GEEK in me had to do it. I am planning of upgrading my 20GB hard drive in a couple of days, and since I've already sentenced my files and programs their untimely demise, might as well play around while waiting for that final urge to get a new hard drive.

I've installed Windows VISTA beta 2 on my desktop PC. I made sure I am ready to encounter bugs and stressors along the way, but then again it's still beta right.

First off, my VISTA is AERO-less, since the built in video graphics card of my motherboard is not VISTA-compatible. Well, it's only AERO that I'll miss. Then after the quite "quick" installation process, then starts the "re-installation" of my apps and drivers. Was able to install almost all except for my Bluetooth dongle which VISTA forcefully shuts down and NO drivers where available on the net. Speaking of missing drivers, there are no AVG Free VISTA compatible apps. So I have to do with Computer Associates' EZ Trust for the meantime. Though Palm Desktop installed without a hitch, it can't seem to recognize my Palm Zire 72 and the iTunes shortcut icon seem to have wondered away, all I can see on my desktop is the generic icon of windows. Then there was the annoying NOTIFICATION feature of VISTA. Everytime a software would do something, VISTA would ask or inform me about it and would ask if the process is permitted. Heck even the moving of an icon to the Trash Bin is being confirmed.

Then when I tried to re-map my Documents folder to the other internal HDD, yeah it re-mapped it but that's about it. It re-mapped only the Documents folder but not it's sub-directory. So when I thought that the Music folder is within Documents and I started to copy all my music files into it, the shock that I felt was unexplainable as my HDD got full of the mp3 files. Heck I found out that I still have to manually re-map that Music folder for it not to save in my OS HDD.

Buggy iTunes 7

Right after it was announce and available in the Apple website, I downloaded the new iTunes 7 to both my PC and Mac. And of course, coupled with that, I immediately tried to update my 5G iPod with the new firmware hoping to increase my battery life, but most importantly, I wanted to personally find out if the new firmware will include the new "search" function of the new generations of iPod and iPod Nanos.

Since most of my music library is in my Windows PC Desktop, I decided to update my iPod in Windows (also because my iPod is configured to sync with my Windows Desktop). The first problem I encountered, after plugging my iPod into the USB port is, iTunes DID NOT recognize the iPod, so I pulled it out and plugged it again but this time, I closed the iTunes program. This time, my iPod was detected. So I proceeded and clicked the UPDATE button, after a minute or so, an error popped-out telling me that there are some errors in my iPod. Shit! I tried it again without closing iTunes and just like the first problem, iTunes did not launch automatically and thus my iPod was NOT detected again. So I decided to use my Mac, and with iTunes 7 installed, it did not detect my iPod, after some pulling out and plugging in again it finally detected my iPod and said that the software needs some updating. Of course I clicked yes and waited, then another error. I decided to go the RESTORE option and luckily (again) it went ok. Now I have the new firmware in my 5G iPod. I pulled it out from the Mac and plugged it in again in my WinBox to restore the music files lost during the "restoration" of the firmware. Yup the Windows iTunes 7 can now detect my iPod and updating went on. After some time (around 1600++ mp3's), I yanked it out from the USB port to check the improvements. NO SEARCH option!!!!! My Video Podcasts were not synchronized!!!! That is still up to now!!!! How buggy can one get?!!!!

FREE WiFi at Figaro Legaspi Village

I've taken a rest from my usual "lunch" at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and had it instead at Figaro Legaspi Village Makati. It's supposed to be a WIZ Hotspot but today I cannot seem to get any signal from the shop's WIZ routers. But lo and behold, I was able to get a "faint" wireless signal from another router (although I'm not sure if it's the same router that Figaro uses, but I find this unusual since the signal is very weak) this is perhaps coming from one of the condos in the area. Anyways, as always, I tried connecting using that router and I'm CONNECTED. The speed is enough to let time pass as I wait for my next class. Faster than dial up but definitely not blazing fast. The only downside is, I can't move to the more comfortable couches for fear of loosing the coveted signal.

And APPLE did it again!!!

And once again, software and hardware manufacturer did it again.
Apple, in their September 12 Showtime event launched 3 kinds of new iPods, iTunes 7, Movies downloads from iTunes Store (no more "Music" in the middle) and a Media Center wireless hub.

Apple bumped the specs of the 5G iPod with brighter screen, a search function, longer battery life, new 80GB capacity and capable of playing games (well actually all 4G and 5G iPods can play the downloaded games from iTunes). But the design is still the same as the version 1 of the 5G iPod.

On the other hand the iPod Nano has been "remastered" and now sports an iPod Mini-like aluminum anodized case. And it comes in 5 colors too (Silver, Pink, Green, Blue and Black). It comes in 2GB (silver only), 4GB (all colors except black) and 8GB (black) versions. Brighter screen, can play games downloaded from iTunes Store, has a Search function and longer battery life, from the 14hours in the 1st Gen Nano now battery time lasts for 24hours.

The 2nd Gen Shuffle is the big surprise. Nobody predicted this coming. Apple has gone away with the USB stick design and instead shifted to a clip with an mp3 player. The new shuffle is smaller, thinner and prettier. Still doesn't have a screen, in only one model, 1GB capacity, instead of USB connectivity, it now comes with it's own teeney-weeney cradle. At $75, this portable player is going to be a hit. Even those who already own big capacity iPod had hinted that they are going to get one of these babies (including me of course).

Then Steve Jobs, announced a preview of a product that will compete with Microsoft's Windows Media Center. They've given it an iTV codename. The box looks a lot like Apple's Mac mini but a lot thinner. It has all the multimedia connections at the back and can connect to a computer (PC or Mac) that has iTunes thru wired ethernet or wireless 802.11 connectivity and access it's contents and play it on a TV that is attached to the box. It's basically Front Row on TV.

Out of the Box: SEAGATE 160GB External Drive

At last I am able to log into Blogger. I thought I will never be able to post this here. Anyways, here it goes.

I am now at 60% full in this new drive and a lot of people are saying that this is already one big drive. Well, I was really after a big drive, but not an external one. But then I saw this Philips external drive enclosure which made me think twice about having to install it internally. I fell in love with how it looked. So I decided to get one and just get a 160GB 3.5 hard drive and assemble it myself. But, as it would go always, I can't find the enclosure. So I decided to drop the plan and look for a built external drive.













I came across 3 kinds of branded external drives. The Seagate 160GB external drive and two (2) 100GB Maxtor external drives , the Maxtor Basics™ Personal Storage 3200 and the Maxtor Personal Storage 3100 (older version but sleeker).

So I decided to get the Seagate for the simple reason that it got a good money per gigabite out of it. Now here are the Out-of-the-Box pictures.

This is the Front side of the package. As you can see, it's not as "sexy" as the Maxtor, but it'll do.This is one of the side. gives you an idea on how big it is.
Specs on one of the sides too!
And of course one of the sides (yeah it's got lots of sides since it's a box/cube in case you didn't know), has the colorful ads for multimedia capabilities.
This is supposedly the top, but when you remove that outer labeled portion, this part becomes the side.
When the top is opened, there are two chambers. The smaller compartment holds the cables, and paper instructions while the bigger portion holds the drive itself.
Here all the contents of the smaller chamber is laid out. There are two (2) kinds of power cable, one USB cable and one power-brick. Then of course the papers.
This is the front...er...the side where the label is. See those slots? You can see the 3.5" hard drive positioned on the side. Underneath are some screws which I guess will remove that grey cover for future "upgrades".
This is the "control panel". There is one power button, one slot for the USB cable and one socket for the power brick.

Irritating 3G Signal

3G technology is a welcome thought to me, being an early adapter, I consider emerging technologies as the way of the future. That's why I was so delighted to see a 3G signal here in our place. But alas, the signal now is more of an irritant than an advantage. Calling, even simple texting is very difficult when I'm between a GSM network and a 3G network. I hope Globe fix this problem soon! I can only hope.

iCal Works Finally!!!!

Finally after 5 months of having my iBook, I was able to make iCal work!

The problem started after I synchronized my Palm handheld with the iBook. When I start iCal, it would start to hang and eventually close. I kept on looking for ways to go around it but to no avail.

The other day, I decided to delete the data in the folders, but for some wierd thing, the data kept on coming back even after dragging all the folders of data into the trash bin and after a few seconds it keeps on coming back. Then I decided to experiment, I deleted one by one the iCal files from every folder in it. Finally it's all gone and I'm using it with a new clean slate.

Palm to release new Smartphone on September in Europe

A Palm spokesman was quoted to have said that the PDA maker is set to release their new Treo Smartphone in Europe this September.

In an effort to catch up with the two other leading smartphone manufacturers Nokia and SonyEricsson, Palm has announced that it will release it's latest smartphone on September.

The Treo Handheld has been the top selling PDA-phone combo has 2 variants at the present, the Treo 700w is running Windows Mobile 5 and another is the Treo 700p which runs the classic but aging Palm OS 5.

Windows Live Writer (Beta) bug #1

Ok, since Blogger doesn't have their own stand-alone Blogger Writer other than thru email or thru their web interface, I'm using Windows Live Writer (Beta) instead. As I've said the other day, it works, well, for simple text that is. You see, this Windows Live Writer (Beta) is marketed as a WYSWYG editor, meaning, "what you see is what you get", thus if I understand it right, I can write text and add pictures at the same time, then just click on the publish button and that's about it. But I guess I expected too much, you see this is still in Beta and the first bug that I encountered is, well, I can't publish if my blog has pictures inserted in it. I guess, if I need to add pictures, well, again, I have to open my web browser and go to Blogger's page and add the picture from there. Hohum!!!!

Google Desktop part 2

I installed Google Desktop 2 today, this is the 2nd time that I installed Google Desktop in my system. The reason why I installed it (again) was simply because I want to check out Google's Gadget. Hoping that I will be able to find what I can't with Yahoo! Widgets. But alas, I was mistaken, not only did I not find what I was looking for, Yahoo! Widgets are still the best looking ones out there. I can't even find a better alternative Blogging input for my Blogger accounts, not even from Google (who owns Blogger just in case you don't know). 

Windows Live Writer (Beta) Works

Ok, after my test blog using this Windows Live Writer (Beta) and hey, it works. What is nice about this application is that it directly publishes the blog into the server and what it looks like is exactly how the blog looks like including the site template. I will be experimenting next time to post with pictures as this application promises WYSWYG editing.

Windows Live Writer (Beta)

Ok, I've read about this application yesterday but only decided to download it today. What interests me is how it will publish my blogs straight into Blogger considering this is from Microsoft.

Globelines Broadband Speed Upgarde

Just this August, Globelines upped the speed of my DSL connection from 768kbps to 1.2 Mbps, although I hardly notice it since I only get 60% of the supposed speed. Nonetheless, I appreciate the speed upgrade. Then again, what I've noticed is the change in their branding of their wired broadband, from Globelines Broadband to Globe Broadband. I wonder what'll be their plans with it?

Blogger Beta

Today I tried to switch to the new Blogger Beta (though to tell the truth, I don't know what's in the new Blogger), but it won't let me. I guess, I'll have to stay with the old UI 'til they decide to switch all the users, 'coz for now, according to Blogger, only a limited number of users are being migrated.

The SONY MYLO wireless device

I remember SONY tagging their CLIE handhelds as part of their MY Life On-line series. Now it seems that they're bringing it back, but this time, as an independent wireless device similar to their UX50 (which is also a reincarnation of a CLIE model) but leaner. It's got Google and Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, SKYPE and Opera web browser but no cellular connectivity, only WiFi. It can play MP3s and can even share music wirelessly to other MYLO owners in the area.

The mylo has 1GB of flash memory, backed by a Memory Stick Pro Duo slot. Its screen is a 320 by 240 pixel 2.4-inch LCD. It'll retail for $350 when it hits the shelves in September.

Now I'm getting excited and confused. I was eyeing on the Nokia E61 to be my "convergent" device but I guess I'm only after the WiFi connectivity that the E61 offers. That way I could walk around the house without lugging my notebook, just to chat with friends online. Well, I guess it's anything goes for me.

Sony Mylo: Media Player With WiFi, Skype, Browser, and Messaging - Gizmodo

Jabra 330 for P1990.00 ONLY!!!

Hey, not only does Jabra comes out with functional bluetooth headsets, now, the prices are falling!!!! I jst read from an ad in a broadsheet that it's Jabra 330 model is only P1990.00! Heck if only my Jabra 265 has ran out of juice and had it stuck it's feet up in the air, I would right away grab one for my own again hehehehe.

Surprise! Free Wifi

Whenever I have work in Makati, I would always spend my spare time in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the Convergys Bldg., and use up my monthly allocation of my WorldPass account, then today, I decided to wait for my time at the admin office. When I opened my notebook to browse on my lectures, lo and behold, the airport signal at the top portion of my notebook has 3 bars! And my widget made it's usual sound when ever it has updated it's content. Surprise, surprise, there is a Linksys wireless network that is open to the public! So here I am typing this blog in the comfort of the Dean's office couch.

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Sony Ericsson M600 and the Nokia E61

Here I go again, I've blogged about these two phones a couple of months ago, and I might say I am very much impressed by both. Last week I was strolling in a mall and saw that the M600 is already available locally, it's P20,300.00 in that store, now I know it's price range, then in a local mac forum the Nokia E61 is running around P24,000.00. Whew very close, both has it's own identity, the M600, the minimalistic design and of course the proven SONY ERICSSION badge of flawless connectivity and synchronization with other devices, which Nokia lags far behind. While the E61 has a very compelling feature that is lacking in the M600 which is the Wi-fi capability. Only the M600 has that touch screen. Both doesn't have any camera as they are aimed for business folks, both are 3G capable and is ready to recieve (only) video calls. Of course both are expandable with their own set of minute memory cards. Then the only thing that I dislike is, their OS, both uses Symbian OS, the M600 uses the UIQ while the E61 the Symbian 90. The reason for the dislike? Well, mobile viruses that attacks this operating system. Yeah some would say that it's a small price to pay for not being to causeous in accepting unknown files. I would agree if you are 100% pathogenic for suffering Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but for "normal" individuals, though very careful with transferred files, that accidental push on the YES button is detrimental to my P20 thousand phone. This is the same reason why I am still with Sony Ericsson phones (with the exception of the P- series), because it's immune to these malwares. Nonetheless, if I follow strict procedures, it won't be too long before I get my hands on these or at least one of these wonderful toys. There goes my savings again.

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The Recoiless Shotgun from BERRETTA

Now this is what I call a SHOTGUN! It's recoiless! Everyone knows how hard it is to fire a shotgun especially if one is not "built" for it. But with this knew gun from BERRETTA, all those recoils are a thing of the past.

Berretta Extrema2: In the Hands of a Master

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Gizmodo "Face-lift"

Gizmodo has changed the design of their website and it's more clean and less cluttery (is there such a word?) than before. It's better looking with the same old very good tech news.

Gizmodo++

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iTunes updates and iPod Updater

Apple released today iTunes update 6.0.5 and iPod updater 2006-06-28, both have whopping 41.8MB and 18.9MB respectively. I've noticed that just this week, Apple has released a couple of updates both for OS X and for Quicktime. Man those downloads where big, I wonder if these were "updates" or re-download of the softwares themselves. 

Yahoo Messenger Exploits! I've been victimized!

A friend of mine sent me a link thru Yahoo messenger the other day. Stupid of me to try out the link, and it forwarded to a Yahoo log-in page, so with all the stupidity in the world, I entered my Yahoo log-in details, and lo and behold, after a couple of days, I can't log-in to my Yahoo account, good think I was able to recover it.

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I thought my iPod DIED!

Whew, I got myself a new 5G 30GB iPod. When I plugged it in my PC, I was notified that the software needs some upgrading, so I did through the iPod updater, but after the update, my iPod suddenly gave me that "folder with an exclamation point" icon, how ever I tried with my PC and the RESTORE option in the iPod software, it doesn't work. Then I decided to try it on my Mac, whew, thank GOD the software was restored, for a minute there I thought I have a spanking new paperweight.

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SkypeOut for FREE and IT WORKS!!!

Yesterday I got an email from SKYPE telling me that they're giving me one (1) hour of free calls to ordinary phones using SKYPE. At first I was hesitant, knowing that their FREE calls are only for US to US calls, but then I thought that this is only for one hour so maybe it's true. I decided to try it this morning, I dialed my friend's number in Australia, and lo and behold, it rang. Then I hang up, decided to call my own cellular number and again, it rang. I dialed my friend's number in Singapore and when he answered I jumped to jubilation! Imagine, an hour of international calls to ordinary phone,  I don't need to wait for my friends or relatives to get online, all I have to do is, open up SKYPE and dial, it's as simple as that.

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Driv-e-mocion

Oh how I wish they have this here in the Philippines. I surely wouldn't have any problems speaking a piece of my mind to all those arrogant, ill-mannered Public Utility Vehicles.

AU-MY Innovatively Designed Products for Modern Day Living.( innovative design, modern living, gadget, bargain, best value, best price)

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White Sony Ericsson W810i

The world is dominated by blacks and whites. After the success of the Sony Ericsson Walkman-phones, SE is now out to dominate the neutral-colored phone market.

The cellphone will have the same specs and come with a grey headset and memory card. Quick refresher on the w810i specs: EDGE, 2 megapixel camera, quad-band, USB 2.0, Memory Stick Pro Duo of up to 2GB, and 22MB internal memory

Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog

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Widsets -- Widgets for your phone

WidSets is a very simple and yet clever little service that brings information that you normally have access to over the Internet, directly to your mobile phone. It uses mini-applications called widgets that keep an eye out on updates to websites you normally visit several times a day. This is done through RSS feeds, which push information from these websites directly to your phone, whenever they are updated.

As long as your phone is JAVA enabled then you don't have to worry about it. I have tried this just today and it works, though there are only a few widgets available, but hey, in a few weeks perhaps your favorite widgets  might already be available for download. And most of all this is a FREE service.

WidSets has a useful feature called Traffic Monitor, which helps you monitor how much data WidSets is using in total and how much data is used by individual widgets. There is also a limit you can set for the data transferred by your widgets - we'll send a notification to your Widsets-widget on the mobile and let you know when the limit has been exceeded.

To get started, click the Sign Up - button on the left-hand side of the home page, fill out your personal information, email address and mobile phone number and activate the account by downloading and activating the WidSets client on your phone.

Note: WidSets does not currently work with Nextel, T-Mobile USA or BREW-enabled phones (e.g. Verizon, Alltel, U.S. Cellular), or Palm devices.

WidSets Beta

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Opera 9 is out

The much-awaited Opera version 9 is out. With much better features than the old ones. This time it offers the "IN" these days which are the WIDGETS. What I like about Opera is the text to speech function, works best for lazy people like me.

One Georgeous Stethoscope!!!!

Damn! I don't know if it's just me, of is this Steth a one georgeous bitch!!!! It has noise cancelling technology in it and it's made by one of the leading makers of audio products, Bang & Olufsen. Although it's battery operated, but still having one of these hanging on your neck will not just attract patients, if you know what I mean!

Swedish Filesharers Fight Back

In response to the closure of The Pirate Bay website, swedish hackers had defamed some Swedish government websites. Ironically, www.thepiratebay.org is up again, running on servers somewhere in Netherlands.

Email in the middle of the sea

As I make this email/blog I am in the middle of the sea. No I'm not on a Cruise Ship nor am I on an oil rig, it's just fortunate that as I cross the Burias Pass on a banca, I can still get a very decent signal from my mobile phone carrier Globe telecom. The wonders of technology.

Lenovo Computers are "Security Threat"

The US Department of State said earlier that the 10,000 Lenovo
computers that they have acquired will not be used for sensitive
materials as these computers can pose a security threat to the
country. It believes that Lenovo, which retained the Thinkpad brand
after it acquired it from computer maker IBM, can and might use the
computers to spy on the US government. Lenovo is partially owned by
the Chinese government. According to Microsoft officials, makers of
the Windows operating system which Lenovo uses in their computers,
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) can tweak or modify their
Windows softwares to suit the manufacturers "needs". It was said the
manufacturers could hide softwares or programs within the windows
operating system.

The Pirate Bay.org Shut Down

Swedish authorities has shut down ThePirateBay.org site for reasons
related to piracy. According to the site, the raiding team cannot
tell them the reason why they have to shut down a site before any
legal debate could occur. ThePirateBay.org is a very famous site for
downloading bittorrent files.

Sony Ericsson Phones in the Da Vinci Code Movie

At last I was able to watch the Da Vinci Code Movie last night! It's a so so movie and well, talking about it here is...well off-topic. What excited me was to see the product placements of Sony Ericsson in the movie, expecially when I saw 2 interesting phones. Robert and Captain Fasche was using a SE K600i, 3G UMTS, Msgr. Aringarosa was using a SE Z500 and then there was this guy in the bus who was using a recently-announced phone (in fact I think Sony Ericsson announced it on the day when the movie was released), it's the new walkman phone the SE W850.

Load up...Surf up at Caltex Stations

Soon access to the World Wide Web will be easier in Caltex stations as Airborne Access, the Wi-Fi provider arm of PLDT, has signed an aggreement with Chevron, the owner of Caltex stations in the Philippines. The aim is to make all the Star Mart, Caltex's convenient stores a hotspot, where anybody with a wireless capable computer, or handheld can connect and surf the net. Right now, Airborne Access is offering as low as P100 for one hour to go online.

3G plus Walkman with the new Sony Ericsson W850

Sony Ericsson is really on the roll with another Walkman phone. The W850, it's a slider, a music player, a mobile phone with UMTS and tri-band capacity, a 2.0 megapixel camera with a lot more extras. It has gone away with the dust-collecting joy stick and has redesigned the d-pad.

SONY ERICSSON release a SPORTY CLAMSHELL

Sony Ericsson released the W710, a clamshell that sports a rugged appearance. It's another walkman phone so it's cool hehehe, with EDGE, Memory Stick micro for expansion and 2.0 megapixek camera, not yet sure if it will support the A2DP Bluetooth stereo.

NO Laptop on your LAP

With the complete transition of Apple computers to the Intel platform, they now have to address the most pressing problem that have been giving high end Mac owners the heat. I'm talking about the heat problems of the high end PowerBooks and now both the MacBookPro and the MacBook is experiencing. In fact the heating is so extensive that Apple has included a warning in the Manuals of the said new Macs. Even the "laptop" word has not been mentioned in the manuals. So if I were you, always be ready with the ice packs and burn creams, because, the lap-burns will surely set you out from the rest.

Palm Treo 700p

Palm released the newest addition to the Treo Line, the Treo 700p. It follows the launching of the Treo 700w which runs Windows Mobile. This new Treo is Palm's commitment to the Palm OS, to the simplicity of the OS, incidentally, this is also Palm's way recognizing the niche group that is loyal to the Palm OS. Even with the release of the Windows Mobile version, which catered mostly to the corporate/enterprise market maily because of it's capability to work with Microsoft servers used by these big corporations, the Palm OS version caters to the individual users who wants ease of use and simplicity on their smartphones. The Treo 700p runs on Palm OS 5.4.9 on 312MHz Intel XScale processor with a total 128MB total non-volatile memory (60MB user accessible), with the following features, EVDO high speed connection, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera and exapansion through an SD slot. The screen is a high resolution 320x320 which is slightly better than the Windows counterpart. 

Hello MacBook

Apple today announced their latest addition to their line of portable computers, the MacBook. It's the replacement to the aging iBook, and this time, it comes in two colors, a white and black one. It only comes in one screen size which is 13.1 inches, has all the bells and whistle of a new generation Mac such as, an Intel Dual Core processor, glossy screen, MagSafe power connector, built-in iSight, Bluetooth, Airport Extreme, Front Row remote and of course Tiger OS.