Foleo -- the Next Palm Pilot

We may all be fussing over the fact that the name comes with a tag line, "Smartphone companion". Yes, as the name implies, it's a device that will complement a smartphone's productivity, but it can also function as a standalone device.

If I understand the device's details clearly, then it is being positioned for mobile workers. In my profession for example, not all needs the full weight of a notebook computer, in fact majority of physicians, both young and old, uses their notebooks only for a few tasks, such as: Presentations, Word document creation/editing, some Spreadsheet work and of course checking emails and surfing the net. Heck most of us does not even use an email client, but instead uses only the available famous web-based emails ( i.e. Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail).

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but all these can be done by the Foleo. Many of you might say, the notebook computer can do that and much more! That's my point, the "much more" is seldom utilized. I always make myself as an example. Considering that I'm more technology savy than other physicians. I have a yearold iBook, at first yeah, it was exciting to use a mac, but after a while, the hype fades out and is left only with some aesthetic reasons. Some of the reasons I like about the iBook is that it turns on almost instantly (although it's more of putting itself to sleep), now this feature I like very much, I don't have to wait for the thing to boot up, if I want to show someone something from within the notebook, we don't have to have coffee first before veiwing the document. Take note, one of the features offered by the Foleo. Then I use my iBook to lecture (of course, I get a lot of ooohs and ahhhs on my Keynote presentations, but all those begins after I bring out my iBook from the bag) but then again, I can always do that in Powerpoint right? And once in a while edit word and excel files, and browse the web and that's it.

How about the "much more" in my notebook? Well, I seldom (and it really means SELDOM) use it. iTunes? nope! I have iTunes on my Windows desktop PC (this is where I do most of the work), and I listen to my music when I'm out of the house on my iPod. Hmmm what else, movie editing -- desktop! Then there's the size and weight, every mobile professional knows that size and weight counts a lot. Plus the fact that one has to bring the power brick almost always. I guess that's about it.

So, if I'm someone who will not be using most of the "much more" on the notebook computers, then I would, by all means, get myself a Foleo, smartphone or not. Besides, with our country's "wireless broadband" speed yet to be desireable, I would rather look for a WiFi hotspot and do my computing there. And don't mention the charges. Paying 2T on my DSL at home then another 2T for mobile internet? Now that's another story hehehe

Increased Gmail Attachment Size

If you're the type of person who loves sending large files as attachments to your emails, and feels restricted by the usual 5MB limit, then fret no more, Gmail, Google's email service, has increased it's attachment size to, guess what, yes, 20MB!

I'm thinking that is one way Gmail is getting a step ahead of Yahoo! who is planning to go unlimited on it's email storage quota. Which is a way is upping up from what Google has at the moment which is an increasing storage capacity everyday (presently at around 2.8GB).

So what are you waiting for, sign up now! Gmail previously is only available on invitation only, but has since modified the sign-up process and anyone can now get their own Gmail account just by visiting Gmail.com

FREE WIFI AT ROBINSONS ERMITA...NOT!!!

It was one of those days that I get to go to Ermita these days, some of the few reasons are the traffic, no interesting place to go to and I'm not a Robinsons guy.

Anyways, I'm here because I don't have to go to and I still don't want to go home (come on, it's a friday!). I told myself that this will be the best time to try out the FREE Wireless Internet connection (WiFi) that Robinsons Malls are trying to use to entice shoppers.

I went to the TASTE BUDS, Robinsons version of the Food court. This is where the "FREE" WiFi is. I'm so excited, I can't wait to get online. I ordered a Strawberry shake and a clubhouse sandwich from San Francisco Coffee and fired up my notebook.

The first access point that was detected was that of AIRBORNE ACCESS, I'm pretty sure this wasn't it, so I asked the BARISTA and he pointed me to those things on the table that they use to advertise their products, a small paper is stuck to it with instructions on how to log on the "free" WiFi. Of course, I followed the instructions but I kept on getting rejected (I hate that feeling! Well, who does in the first place?).

I sent an SMS to the hotline on the paper, but up until I had finished typing this article, I am just getting the AIRBORNE ACCESS SSID. Goodluck to me :(

The Dreaded Globelines Broadband Erratic Connection is Here!

I have been reading quite some complaints about Globelines' erratic behavior, the way it will disconnect and re-connect after a few minutes of being logged-in. All the while I thought that this was area-related, since all the years I've been using Globelines broadband, I have never encountered the said incidence. But since a couple of days ago, whenever I use Yahoo! Messenger, I noticed that the line was acting differently, I know that get disconnected because, every time I get logged on into my Yahoo! Messenger SMS. This should only happen if I log off from YM, but in a single session, my phone keeps on getting the notice that I have been logged on into YM SMS.

Couple this with uTorrent as the download speed goes to zero every once in a while, then goes back up to it's normal speed after a few minutes. I also checked my modem/router's configuration page and much as I expected it, there are lots of errors and disconnections. I have emailed Globelines' customer support and I am still clueless as to what their explanation would be.

No more Ad-Aware on Google Pack

As I recently went back to Windows XP from Windows Vista, I one by one downloaded the applications "essential" for a Windows desktop to work, and one of these software is an Anti-spyware program. Before my short-lived migration to Vista, I was using Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, which was also part of Google Pack. On Windows Vista, I was using Microsoft's own Windows Defender. Now that I'm back to XP, I was surprised to see that Ad-Aware has been replaced in Google Pack with SpyDoctor.

As a standalone application, SpyDoctor is not free. But if you download it from Google Pack, one gets a starter edition, that almost has the same properties as the paid version. Maybe I'm going to try it out for a while, and if I'm not satisfied, I might try out, AVG's Free Anti-spyware program. Now, if you're going to ask why it seems that I have confidence on AVG's software, well, that's just for the fact that I am an avid AVG Free Anti-virus user (who isn't) and that I am very well satisfied with it's performance, never had a viral infection in my desktop ever since.

Back to Windows XP

I've reinstalled Windows XP the other day. My desktop was running Windows Vista for sometime, since Microsoft released Vista Beta to RC1 to RC2. But after the notice that all pre-release softwares will "expire" on May 18, I decided to revert back to XP. I am still contemplating on really "upgrading" to Vista, but not yet. Perhaps I will wait for a year to a year and a half before totally dumping Windows XP.