Globe Handyphone's "Loyalty" Program?

Recently, Globe (Handyphone) launched a silent "Loyalty" "Rewards" Program as a form of retention for their customers. This is not an announced promo and a subscriber has to call Globe's Customer Hotline and "inquire" for the said program. So, being a long-time Globe subscriber, I called their hotline, but to my dismay, I was told that since I did not get any call from their "Retention Team" then most likely that I did not "qualify" for the "criteria" set for the promo.

I wonder what "criteria" Globe is talking about and it looks like they don't give a shit if subscribers will leave them and shift carriers. In fact, SMART offers loyalty rewards to their subscribers on a yearly basis, and the rewards seems to be as what it is, rewards. The phones that SMART is giving away are will really be appreciated by their subscribers. Let me think hmmmm I guess will prepare changing numbers.

ADVANCES IN BUS TICKETING IN THE PHILIPPINES

It's been quite sometime since I used public transport to go to places. I got to try it again today and what a surprise. The bus conductor gave me a ticket that came from a portable printer attached to a Palm Zire 22! Forgive me if I sound really surprised because I never have thought that our local bus companies would adapt such technology.

The NEW SonyEricsson Phones

Here it goes again, new phones from Sony Ericsson, tsk tsk, everytime SE launches new phones, I get excited.

The SE W610 and entry level Walkman phone , it's quad-band with EDGE, an RDS FM Radio, an LED light for your pictures, A2DP stereo Bluetooth audio, a 2 megapixel camera, and that full suite of music management software, ships with a 512MB M2 card.

The SE K550 entry level Cybershot phone, has a 2.0 megapixel cam and LED photo light and is thin at 14-mm form factor, uses the Memory Stick M2 form factor. It is a quad-band EDGE device.

The high end K810 Cybershot phone, a feature rich 17-mm thin baby with a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and Xenon flash in it's heart. It has a second cam up front for video calls and goes UMTS 2100 and GSM 900/1800/1900. The K810 uses the same Memory Stick M2 that the K550 uses.

And there's the super thin Walkman phone, the SE W880, at 9.4-millimeters thin, it's SE's slimmest Walkman phone yet and packs a 1.8" QVGA 262k TFT display and 2 megapixel camera with a 1GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card included in the box. It also comes pre-loaded with Walkman Player 2.0, Disc2Phone music management, and the TrackID music recognition applications. It also features a Flight Mode for use on the airplane and battery capable of up to 20-hours of music playback or up to 6 hours 30 mins of talk time. UMTS 2100 and GSM 900/1800/1900

So go ahead and drool people!!!!

UNLIMITED TEXTING AND AGING

With the advent of new technologies, it is imperative that society be able to adapt to these changes or suffer alienation. I am one of those people who tries and successfully cope up with this problem. But I guess, it will only be up to a certain point before things get out of hand.

A classic example is texting or internationally known as SMS. When this thing started, I had a Panasonic G-series phone (which doesn't have a caller ID that tells you the sender's name, just the number). I was using Globe Telecoms network (although I'm still using Globe up to now), and all one had to do was to pay the initial P200 fee and you're off to an unlimited texting spree, perhaps until one dies (that was then), and things change. A lot of promos and cellphones and cellphone technology after, we go to the present where everybody is complaining that Globe suddenly changed it's rules with regards to it's UNLIMITED texting promo. Well, it's hard to discuss about the repercussions of the change in the promo, but what I can say is, a lot of people has been enticed by the said add-on by these telecommunication companies, but for someone like me, a 32 year old father, this is not important anymore. I seldom text unless someone sends me one or it's really important to send a text message. Ever since these UNLIMITED texting promos, people now start to send and forward almost all spam or forwarded messages that they've received, unknowingly irritating those that receives them.

Perhaps there's a silver lining in the changing of the UNLIMITED texting scheme, and that is, less of those annoying, un-important SMSs. Happy texting everyone!

Vista Prices in the Philippines Outrageous!!!

Windows Vista will be launched officially tomorrow here in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia. Lots of extravaganza, but it all boils down if consumers will buy it or not. Looking at the Local Launch Website, the price of all the versions is Outrageous! No wonder majority of people would rather buy it from their "friendly neighborhood" pirates. Even the local Mac Users Group ( PhilMUG) laughs at the SRP of the rivals operating system. A few more bucks and you can buy a Mac Mini bundled with Mac OS X and iLife for the price of the Vista Ultimate edition. Although, in deference to Microsoft, Windows OS change comes every 5 years and every small upgrade comes free, while with the Mac OS, it may come out as cheap compared to the Windows version but the Mac OS charges for every incremental upgrade that they do. Good luck Microsoft!