Thursday, October 30, 2008

Downey to don Iron Man suit in 2 sequels

Downey to don Iron Man suit in 2 sequels 

Agence France-Presse

Posted date: October 30, 2008


LOS ANGELES -- Robert Downey Jr. has signed a deal with Marvel Studios to return to the screen as superhero "Iron Man" in two sequels to the hit film released last April, Hollywood media reported Wednesday.

Downey, 43, will make "Iron Man 2" for planned released in 2010, and Marvel envisions a third Iron Man film by 2012, according to Variety.

In between the two, Downey also agreed to play Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, in an Avengers movie, together with Marvel comics characters Captain America, Thor and the Incredible Hulk.

That film is scheduled for the movie houses in 2011.

"Iron Man" was a surprise hit in 2008, pulling in $318 million in North American theaters, beating out the fourth "Indiana Jones" movie.

Downey is currently filming in the lead role of "Sherlock Holmes," directed by Guy Ritchie, singer Madonna's estranged husband.

Downey also found success in the Hollywood war-movie satire "Tropic Thunder" earlier this year.

The successes marked the return to Hollywood heights by an comic actor whose career slumped due to a series of drug-related problems after his initial Oscar-nominated triumph playing the title role in 1992's "Chaplin." 

Friday, October 24, 2008

Android...the next Palm

I believe that the next Palm will be the Google Phone. 

The Palm during it's time became famous not because of it being a glorified PIM device, but because it was easy to make applications for it, thus making it famous to people who love to customize their device. Microsoft was not able to beat Palm during it's time because of it's simplicity and tons of applications.

This is how the G1 is now. If everything will be what they say it will, the Android being open source and all, then developers will have a wonderful time making applications for it and end users will have a blast using it. My gut feeling tells me, Android will be something. The device may not be as pretty as the iPhone, but it's more useful.


Saturday, October 18, 2008

Ubuntu Report: Almost there

I think the time when Linux (Ubuntu) will be an option for computer buyers is almost here. I've been using Ubuntu for sometime now and it's becoming simpler to use. Although there's not many applications for the OS, it's getting there. The only thing that the developers have to do is to make it more user friendly (not that I'm saying it's not, it's getting there). 

Right now, it's easy to surf, download (direct and torrent), type a letter, make a presentation, do some simple excel stuff. One thing that's difficult in it at the moment (for me) is the installation of new applications. It's easy if the application that I'm looking for is within the repositories that came default with the OS. Oh and if one knows how to go with the apt-get install thingie. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ubuntu Report: Better than Kubuntu



It's some time now that I've been using Ubuntu on my main LinBox. I was used to using Kubuntu. Some of you would say that there's not much difference between the two, but I say otherwise. For a novice Linux user like me, the difference is very obvious and big.

When it comes to adding and removing programs, it's a comparison between Apples and Oranges or Windows and Mac. With Kubuntu, the Add/Remove thingie does not work. Or, it did not work for me. Unlike in Ubuntu, well, it works.

I will be writing more and more about my experiences with my Ubuntu Box. So far so good. Some of the quirks that I am noticing are that some of the dependencies are not downloading properly. I don't know if it's mostly from my internet connection, or my LinBox, either way, I am getting frequent errors after updating.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

My New Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo...the Logitech S510

I have been itching to get a new wireless keyboard for my desktop. I'm not looking for any fancy gaming wireless keyboard, just a simple, yet elegant wireless keyboard. I'm planning to put my old Logitech Wireless Keyboard to my Ubuntu Box hooked to my HDTV. That will now compliment the design of the Media Center.

Since my first Logitech Keyboard and Mouse combo did a very good job, of course, I will have to replace it with an equally good performance combination also from Logitech. I was able to find what I want from the Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 (my old one was the Cordless Desktop EX110), my only gripe from the old one is that the letter started to fade out as time goes by. I just hope that this new one will not (although I'm planning to cover the letter with clear nailpolish for extra protection).

So yes, I got myself a Logitech Cordless Desktop S510. And yes, this thing is very hard to find. I fell in love right away with the design. It's very slim and has the right buttons. Again, this thing was very hard to find. I looked around I think 4 malls to find it, was able to find this last thing at Octagon Park Square in Makati. The box was under a stack of Wired Genius Keyboards. And the box didn't look like it was brand new (you know, the edges are peeling off and grime that is more than what one can find in a brand new box set. Anyways, I left the store and tried to look around, but the closest that came from the design was a Microsoft keyboard and mouse combo (yes, it's also wireless). But I decided to get the Logitech. Good thing though that the store yanked P500 from the price. Basically a good deal for me.

Yahoo! Mail on my Palm Centro

The other day, my wife asked me why some of her emails can be found in her Palm Centro but she can't find it in her Yahoo! Mail, I ignored it. But today, it came back to my mind and asked her if it was about her Yahoo! Mail that she was asking me the other day, and of course, she said yes, it's about Yahoo! Mail. This confused me, one because I know she's not that techno-savy as me (yabang!) and two, all the while I thought that POP forwarding is only available for Premium Yahoo! Mail accounts. 

So I checked her Centro and indeed, she was getting her Yahoo! Mail thru the Centro's Versamail application. Ok, this amuses me to the max. I asked her what she did and all she told me was she just put in her Yahoo! username and password, and clicked on the "Get" soft-button. Well, simply-put, I did the same to my Centro and lo and behold, it fetched my Yahoo! Mail. That's without entering anything on the settings. No setting-up! AMAZING!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Wireless Broadband Battle goes on....

After Globe brought down the price of the Visibility Prepaid, Smart followed suit and brought down their price to P2500 as well. This is very interesting, not only for technophiles like me, but to those people who are in the far-flung provinces of the country. Wireless Broadband will be centuries to go before it reaches these barangays, but at the moment, the platform for wireless internet connection is already in place thru these telco's cellsites.

Even as I type this article, many people are getting these thingamajig, even those who already have broadband connection and at home (including me hehehehe), simply because it's a cheap way to connect. Even those that stay in fancy coffee shops get one of these, because wifi access is not cheap in these places. A very affordable way to surf the web and check emails.

Smart is still using their ZTE USB modems, while Globe has two variants, a ZTE and a HUAWEI E160 models. Both are USB stick Modems that also function as card readers for microSD cards (once inserted in the modem will now act as a modem and a flash drive).

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Globe Visibility: Globe should be paying me for marketing

I have an Indonesian co-resident. He's been asking me what's the best way to connect to the internet. He's the same guy who I was able to convince to get a Bayan Wireless Landline Prepaid. That was supposed to be a one stop shop for him. Unfortunately, he can't seem to connect to the interweb, then we found out that at the 14th floor where he lives (this is from the Bayantel CSR), there is some problem connecting data and IDD (weird), yes, super weird because, he can receive and make local calls at that level.

Anyways, I told him about Globe's Visibility Prepaid unit, but he was more convinced with the SmartBro prepaid because according to him, it's cheaper at P10/hr, which, of course I disagreed! I told him the charges are the same at P20/hr, the only difference is the speed and the way they're charging it.

Well, to make things short, I brought my Huawei E160 and showed him how to make it work in his laptop, and told him he could borrow it and test it in their place. I'll be waiting for his reaction tomorrow.

Globe Visibility: Finally with Huawei E160

I thought I got a busted unit, but when I used a Post Paid SIM in it,
I was able to connect, and when I used the USIM that came with the
unit, it worked!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Globe Visibility: Problem Connecting in Crowne Plaza

I was trying to connect using my newly bought Globe Visibility
Prepaid, Huawei E160 USB modem, but it seems like it having a hard
time connecting to Globe even if I'm getting a pretty decent signal.

I found the problem, the settings are set for PostPaid while I'm
using a prepaid USIM. Looks like I'm not getting enough signal in the
conference hall.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Globe Visibility: Huawei E160 USB MODEM

The other day, I got myself a Globe VisibilityPrepaid USB Stick, I thought I was going to get a HUAWEI E160 (I liked how it looked like in the 3 Black Edition), but instead got a ZTE USB modem instead. I eventually gave the ZTE USB modem to my aunt (she's going to use it with her new MagicJack).

Though I don't have any use for a USB Broadband modem at the moment (I have free WiFi at work and I have DSL with a wireless network at home, the two places that I'm always at), I decided to get another one just for the sake of having one hehehe. Anyways, there is an ongoing shortage of the device at the moment, so, I asked in the Globe Business Center in Megamall, as expected, I was told that it's out-of-stock. No fret, I'm not in a hurry to get one anyway. So I ended up at the Globelines Business Center at the same mall, again, I just tried my luck, and was told that they have it on-stock (weird! hehehe), so I said that I'm getting one.

While waiting for my number to be called, I saw from that customers ahead of me that the packaging for the VISIBILITY Modem that they're getting is different from the one I got before (ZTE), I got very excited when I found out that the ones that they're selling are the HUAWEI type!

In short, I bought one, looks fancier than the ZTE, still white, and the software is pretty much the same (though not exactly the same), as the one that came with the ZTE. I have yet to test the speed of this unit, will post my experiences with it right away!