Alcatel OT-C850

Will you look at this cellphone, this is one sexy uber to the max mobile phone! What's inside? well it has 1.3 megapixel camera, a 65K color 176×220 screen, plays MP3s (256 MB of memory onboard, plus a MicroSD slot) and EDGE. It's basically a phone with very nice looks!

Writely-Google

Remember Writely? It's the on-line word prossesor that could replace Microsoft's Office (Word) because it's free and doesn't take up any space in your hard drive. Well, it's been bought by Google. Now let's just wait and see what happens next.

Nokia E61 Approved!

Ever since the cellphone era dawned on us, I have had only one Nokia cellphone, the Nokia 100, I still have it, but can't use it since it's NAMPS which no local networks support anymore. Anyways, since then, I have only like maybe a couple of Nokia phones, and one of them is the E61, it's supposed to be a Messenging phone which will take on the Motorola Q head-on. I like the style and features because they did not skimp on it. I just hope it's not mediocre. Maybe I would get it, but then again, it still depends.

Smart 3G

Ok, when I learned about the SMART 3G free trial service, I immediately bought a SMART SIM card to test the service on my phone. The immediate problem I encountered was, how to set my phone up to use the service, so I called 8881111 hotline and was told of the settings which were different from my phone. I had to rely on my own reliable GUT feeling to find out how to get a 3G signal at first. When I was able to get that 3G icon on my phone, my problme now was how to use the high-speed internet browsing that 3G is promising. Well, after the NO-help from SMART's Customer Service, I just, again, relied on my intuition and launched my phone's browser, but to my dismay, Globe's GPRS browsing is faster than SMART's claim on their 3G service. I tried it on both, Sony Ericsson's browser and Opera mini but I keep on getting slow connections. Then I tried using my phone as a modem and link it via bluettoth to my notebook and Palm PDA but the attempt was futile. Just like SMART's GPRS settings, I find it hard to connect to the web. When I gave up on it, I now tried Video Calling, again it was a futile attempt. My calls kept on getting dropped. Oh well, what could one expect from a half-baked release, just for the sake that they be known as the first one to launch the service in the country.

D-Link DWL-122 USB Wireless Dongle

Hi guys, I'm back!!!! I'm going to start it slow. I got myself a D-Link DWL-122 USB Wireless Dongle the other day. I did so because I still hasn't got back my Linksys compact Wireless router from work. Anyways, I installed the dongle on my main box, just because it's the only one capable of USB 2.0. But if I have the chance I will change my set-up to a wired one. Why? Well you see, I have one box, has a wired connection and is my downlaod center, it's where I keep most of my downloaded media. Now, with the wireless set-up, I get some flickering every now and then with the USB dongle, my guess is that it can't cope with the bandwidth requirements of the video streaming, oh I use VLC Media player by the way. And I'm not getting 54 Mbps full speed from the dongle, since my wireless router is on the receiving area and my box is in the basement, maybe this is another factor adding to the bandwidth bottleneck. Anyways, dropping down a CAT5 cable is a bit tiring but I'll weigh my options if these flickering keeps on bothering me. 'Til next time!

3G ala Globe & Smart

Smart was the first one to come out with their 3G ads (just days after NTC has officially granted them their frequencies) and just recently, Globe has updated their website now boasting of a 3G ad. But after close scrutiny of both info-mercials, I've noticed that the two ads has very similar content. Not that this is impossible, but I'm wondering, is it collusion between the two competing networks, is it a case of one copying the other (again, what's new with this one), or is it simply a "coincidence" that even the wordings are the same? Nonetheless, both claims that 3G would be a hit and it would not go to where MMS is right now. Although I'm very "optimistic" that 3G would be accepted my a slight majority. I just hope (again, for the nth time) that the price will not be as prohibitive as the GPRS charges. Then again (see!) why not start an affordable unlimited data plan?

You see (there's supposed to be a segway to this topic), Globe could very much incorporate 3G services with their WorldPass service and give a truely seamless connectivity! Just a hint.

IPTV

Sometime ago, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), the largest telcommunications company said that it is interested in diving into IPTV (internet television). Actually, there is really a future in IPTV but, if they are planning to go with subscription services, then what I can say is GOOD LUCK! Right now, since the advent of cheaper Broadband subscription, people, like me, has been introduced to downloaded shows thru the help of BitTorrent. To tell you the truth, I have been using and watching television (cable) less and less after I have discovered the power of the BitTorrent. So, what's the point in going into paid subscription for IPTV.

Yahoo! Go

Yahoo! a couple of weeks ago launched Yahoo! Go, it's a service where a Yahoo! user could have "everything" he needs where ever he goes as long as he has access to the internet. Basically, this is like Google's personal homepage where one could personalize the contents of the page and Google's Desktop, an applet where you could add more applets to your convenience. Let's see which one works better. Both though can be accessed thru a web enabled mobile phone.

The CES

HAPPY NEW YEAR to Everyone! Happy indeed, since the year is started with a landslide of products both old (enhanced) and new products. Lots of new ultraportable notebooks which, aside from either the processor, the monitor or the design, but still no too much oohs and ahhs on this side of the fence. Then there were the HDTVs, oh man there are lots of them, aside from getting bigger and bigger, they get better screen resolutions and functionalities, oh they're getting cheaper every year.

HD-DVD and Blue Ray Players are coming out, not so interesting here since it's evolution. Bill Gate's Key Note is not that much of entertainment. Dell's shift to the high-end market is gaining. XM portable players are interesting, but not too interesting since, again, it's US-centric. Not much on gaming and wireless networking. Oh and speaking of wireless networking, the much anticipated Palm Treo 700w from Verizon is out, selling for $400, that's a lot! But early reviews are saying that it won't beat the Treo 650 when it comes to functionality. Then again, Palm programmers has shown their best capabilities shown by how much they've improved the Windows Mobile 5.0, in favor of the Treo 700w. Some say it's going to be the best Windows Mobile 5.0 device but it's still can't match the Treo 650.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May we all celebrate Christmas with it's true meaning, the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ!

Go Meebo

I just found about this today. Meebo.com, it's a website that serves as an Instant Messaging repository all that the same time. More like e-messenger.net, but Meebo has more soft and fluid interface. It can connect to AIM, YM, MSN, JABBER & GTalk. It runs on AJAX and is pretty good integrating all these IM in one website. No need to wait for long loading times for each client. Unfortunately, it's still in the early stages so, it's basically all IM and very minimal features. But the developers promise to come up with more exciting capabilities. Another all-in-one IM client is Trillian. Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Real Fashionista Phone - Dolce & Gabbana RAZR V3i

The Dolce & Gabbana Motorola RAZR V3i. Only 1000 will be made and plays iTunes. Can be bought from D&G botiques and is really SEXy. Very nice packaging too!

The Sony Ericsson K600i -- Uber SEXy

I've got a NEW TOY! After my SE K700i showed signs of impending retirement, I decided to scout for a potential replacement. I was thinking of the O2 Xphone, the very SEXy Motorola RAZR V3, the very capable SE K750i and then the SE K600i. As I've posted before, it was really a dilemma on what phone to get. Then last week, when I can't sleep and my SE K700i kept on trying my patience, I decided to do a last minute round check on the available phones on the market. Still the RAZR, the Xphone, the K600i and the K750 was in mind, but I added the SE Z520i. But when the time came, I decided to go with the 3G phone, the very slim and very capable and of course the ver elegant, SE K600i. Up 'til now, I can't stop staring at it and touching it, oooooh that feels good hehehehe.

Anyways, although it's features are somewhat desiring when compared with the K750, I decided to take the K600i because of it 's looks and because I am assuming that the local networks will be beta testing their 3G servers very soon as Globe started with a teaser in one of the big malls a couple of weeks ago. Investing on a 3G handset is a wise idea since this is where everybody is heading.

I am used to the SE UI and I might say, it's very easy. My only gripe is the keypad. It's so flushed into the body that I have trouble pressing them. But then again, it's the price I have to pay for such a wonderful and uber sexy phone.

The Battle of the Widgets

As Yahoo! upgraded their new baby, Yahoo! widgets from Konfabulator. It's only a matter of time before the two other companies who are also offering widget-like applications to do the same. Microsoft has it's own Gadgets which can be used in conjuction with it's Live.com website. The only problem with Gadgets is that, you can only use it online. Then there's Google's Desktop. It's an applet that has some other applets run within it. Yeah it can run offline and it indexes your hard drive's content but it's so simple looking and hugs some noticeable resources (although not that much). The reason why I'm more bent to like Yahoo! widgets is that, it's very pleasing to the eye and makes my desktop look cool. It also can work offline. Did I say it's cool? Anyways, to each his own and why not just try it all, they're all FREE anyway!

Yahoo! Widgets

"Central...Konfabulator is changing Call Sign...Konfabulator is now Yahoo! Widgets!" That's right folks, Konfabulator 2.1.1 is now a fully-owned Yahoo! software and is now known as Yahoo! Widgets 3.0

As was reported here previously, Konfabulator or should I say Yahoo! Widgets is the same technology that has been used to design the very eye-candy Dashboard of Mac OS but now thry Yahoo! widgets can be experienced by Windows users. The widgets, which is the center attraction, uses very little resource of the CPU and comes in a wide variety of sorts. Check them out!

Windows Remote Desktop

Remember I posted here (or maybe in my Yahoo! 360 account, anyways), about me trying to "revive" some old CPU's, mostly running AMD K-6 550MHz. Well, there is one unit from Dell, but this time it's faster at 730MHz. I've installed WinXP SP2 and very minimal applications so as not to slow it down. I've also upped the RAM to 256MB since most of the other CPU's I have here have a max RAM of 128MB (since most of these junks only has 64MB in their GUTS). Anyhow, I've decided to dedicated the "Dell" as my torrent client and it's sole purpose is to download TV shows. I never realized that these shows were that clear. Yeah, I've heard that they were HD but man was it clear. So, I placed the Dell near my main CPU and hooked it up in the network, and since I don't have (yet) a KVM switch, I have to manually, and painstakingly, reach to the back of my CPU to remove the monitor cable and plug it into the Dell. The I remember that thing called Windows Remote Desktop, and here it is. I can now see what's happening to my Dell Bittorrent machine. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Kubuntu - the Linux Disaster

I am a very optimistic guy, I always leave an open mind with regards to everything, you know, always give the benefit of the doubt. When I heard about the open source community a few years back, I told myself that I would give it a try, after all, they are all promising a lot of things against the friendlyness of Windows. But after a few years of monitoring the open-source community, I realized how technical one has to be to use Linux. Yeah it's stable and whatnot, but then again, how about those who wanted ease of use from their PC's. Just recently, I asked a friend to give me a copy of one of those Linux releases, the KUBUNTU (where do they get these names?!). Anyways, since I've got a lot of unused and old hardware, I decided to install KUBUNTU into one of these systems since I've heard that even with minimal hardware, with Linux, one can still appreciate the functionalities of the latest computer models.

INSTALLATION: from the forums I've read, it says that installation is not as long as installing Windows, but then again, I proved them wrong. My KUBUNTU installation took me a little more than 2 hours (heck I have to postpone my dinner party just because I don't want to leave the installation process). When I finally got it installed, I was hoping that it would be fast, but then again, it was too slow for me, giving in the factor that my system was old, it was still slow. Then came the part that I have to install some programs, the first thing I wanted was to surf the net. You know, try it out in the real world. I liked the interface, very eye-candy and cute. The web-browser that came with it, KONQUEROR, was just like Firefox (both uses the same Mozilla kernel), tabbed borwsing and all, but it lacks some plug-ins, like Macromedia's Flash Player. So I downloaded the plug-in and when I tried to double-click it to install, it doesn't budge. Here started my woes. Little that I know, that in Linux, one has to know how to use the CLI or the command prompt. SHIT! When I played with it for say, around 2 hours, I finally knew some commands and tried to install the plug-in again, but this time, it tells me that something in there is having a conflict with one of the components of the plug-in, and when I tried to just cut and paste the files to the supposed directory, DAMN, I couldn't find where the file system is.

As you can see, I've given Linux a chance and my verdict is...I DON'T LIKE IT! Until, perhaps, these Linux people made using Linux more simple, then perhaps, I would give it another chance. But until then, I would probably stick it out with WINDOWS.

The Flock part 2

I'm testing if this post will get thru. If it does, then, as I've said before, it's easier to post blogs from just one application without the hassles of logging-in and waiting for the page to load up (although I've got broadband, my system needs cleansing). Hope this works though.

Konfabulator 2.0

I just heard this today. Konfabulator 2.0 a product of Yahoo! Now &..Dashboard&.. capabilities will NOT be limited to Mac users. And what&,s wonderful about this product is that it&,s FREE. Unlike similar products from other software developers like Stardock which is a resource hugger and pricey at that.
Konfabulator 2.0 uses widgets, again similar to Mac&,s Dashboard. There are a lot widgets available at www.widgetgallery.com for download. Right now I&,m using the calendar, memory and system widgets which from my view is doing fine when it comes to using my PC&,s limited resources.

SKYPE 2.0 Beta

Skype has released a beta version of 2.0 now it comes with Videoconferencing. Personally, I love Skype, since the voice quality is good. There maybe some quirks but then again, I attribute these bugs to my broadband connection. The bandwidth that our local telcos is offering is not much as with their counterparts from the Americas. Nonetheless I can use it and I can't wait to test the Video conferencing feature. Enjoy!