The Trip Thru the Storm

Going home to bicol regularly has been deferred since I started
residency training, which means road trips are also postponed.

But this week came in as one of those days. We had the go to Daet for
the burial of the father of the wife. Though impromptu, it has to be
planned and thought of properly.

We scheduled it on a friday so that class schedules of the kids will
not be affected. Good thing I was able to convince a friend to come
with us, or else it would be just me and the two kids which is going
to be very very stressful. And on the day of the trip, good thing my
uncle decided to come with us too, so that's 5 of us in the car.

We left house at 645pm, it was a Friday, I took the wheel and expected
heavy traffic, sure enough we lost around 2hrs in traffic.

All the way, it was raining, but the rain wasn't too strong to hamper
our speed, but what slowed us down was the slippery road. About 45mins
from our destination, there was this bridge under construction, the
truck in front of us told us to back up, it gave me a bad feeling,
then we found out that cars, heck even trucks can't cross through
because of the strong current. Ok, now, there's a problem, it's either
we wait there 'till people in charge deccide to open the bridge or go
back and use the long way to the destination which will delay us for
around 6 hours. And to top it of, there was no cellphone signal and I
can't get anyone in the VHF radio. We decided to drive back perhaps
until we get a good cellphone signal. Good thing going back, we met
this car, and the driver asked us to go back to the bridge and hope
that we can pressure the person in charge to open the bridge. So we
went back, after about 45mins of convincing, we were able to cross the
river using the new, unfinished bridge.

The next day we were shocked to learn how devastating the storm was
here in the metropolis.

Sent from my iPod Touch

My New iPod Touch part 2

I love it, especially the internet device function, but I guess I can't have it all, Sean and Colleine are fighting over it for the games...hmmmm

My New iPod Touch

It's been 2 days and I'm still enjoying this new toy of mine. I use it
more as an MID (Mobile Internet Device) than a PMP (Portable Media
Player).

I've set-up all my Google accounts (Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google
contacts), and even added my Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail. Setting up all
these was very easy. All i had to do was to put in my email address
and the corresponding passwords.

Since the hospital is mostly wireless enabled, I didn't have any
problems keeping the connection and push notification is a wonder in
this device, even social networking sites such as facebook and Twitter
gives me push notification. That's why updating my status is a breeze.

Some of the qualms I have with it, well, the predictive text is
sometimes annoying, but one can get used to it. Also, it's very thin,
holding it the wrong way can give one some discomfort during prolonged
use. It's day 3 of this device and I still haven't bought it a case.
Also the scree and the stainless back is one big fingerprint magnet.

Watching Youtube is also a wonder (as long as you have a fast
connection). I like this device because in coffee shops, and in the
malls, I don't have to bring my laptop just to update my status in

Facebook hehehe.

There's still some quirks with editing and viewing Word and Excel documents, but what excited me was the syncing of notes from my Outlook.

Will post more information about my use of this wonderful device.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Mobile Prepaid Service in Malolos Bulacan

I'm here at Malolos Bulacan today, tested if SUN's mobile broadband
will have a good signal, unfortunately, NOT!!!! Didn't get any 3G
signal.

Then I tried Globe Visibility using the ZTE modem, hmmm, got a good
3G signal and the speed is ok. I'm actually posting this using
Globe's Visibility

Nothing New in the Telecom Industry

No new exciting news on the Telecom Front, even Globe’s WiMax announcement has become passé. Even Smart has not announced anything new on their side. Sun Cellular is still crappy (although I have an account with them). Bayantel, well, they have a new poster, but nothing really new.

Mobile Internet in the Philippines

Thanks to competition, the major Telecoms players, Globe, Smart,
Digitel and Bayantel are giving consumers the best choices to connect
to the internet.

Globe, Smart and Digitel all has their own versions of mobile
broadband with Bayantel rumored to be coming out with their own in
the coming months.

The major 3 all uses 3.5G with Globe and Sun now using mainly HUAWEI
USB Modem Sticks and Smart with their ZTE models.

These modems have become cheap over the years. They all started above
P2000 per stick with now priced a little less than P2000 and the per-
minute charging is very competitive too!

Most of those who will buy these mobile modems are laptop owners, who
will opt to buy a P100 load, at 3.5G speeds (comparable to entry-
level DSL speeds), than shell out P100 for an hour in Starbucks.

Although major malls now are offering free WiFi access (Mall of Asia,
Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, Robinsons, and Eastwood Malls), having one or
three (one for every major carrier) would offer much convenience for
the consumer.

These USB modem sticks can also be used by subscribers who doesn't
have DSL lines at home (perhaps they are not covered by the telcos
service areas). It's a good way to spread the power of the net to the
provinces. SMART will definitely lead this one because they have the
most number of cell sites all spread out in the country. The only
question there is, are these cell sites all at least 3G capable, or
else, the subscriber will crawl on 2G speeds (GPRS/EDGE).

It's very easy to get and use. One only has to purchase one of these
sticks (or two or three), and just plug it in one of any available
USB ports and, as long as it has load in it, it's off to the interweb.

Reloading is very easy too! One just have to go to their suking
tindahan (if available), just give manang the phone number of the
modem (the modem is actually a phone with a SIM card inside it
without a keypad and a screed) and it's ready.

The price is very affordable at P20 per hour, it definitely beats the
P100 per hour in a coffee shop. This separates us from our US
counterparts, although they have a very good subscriber penetration,
their broadband is very expensive compared to ours. What we're
lacking is mostly penetration. As this technology is dependent on
cell site towers.

I suggest students who are living in apartment and dorms, who cannot
get a wired broadband line (maybe because their stay is just
temporary), get one of these (depending on which has a better signal
in the area).

DTH TV in RP

I have cable TV at home, the problem I have with it is that, I don't
get clear channels on them, specifically Cartoon Network. And
watching Standard Def on an HDTV is something like the old times.

I thought of changing to DTH (direct-to-home) Satellite TV. They say
it's a lot clearer because of the digital nature of the channels.
Hmmm sounds promising. Dream Satellite TV was the mainstream pioneer
of consumer DTH Sat TV in the country. And by the looks of their
recent actions, they're getting ready for HD.

The problem I have with DTH or Dream was the expandability. Each TV
will need their separate set-top box to access content. Unlike
regular cable, one would only need a cable splitter and each TV will
be able to choose their own channel liking.

Now comes Cignal TV, it's from MediaQuest, a subsidiary of PLDT, and
has big potential of growing and offering affordable rates, just look
at SMART. Right now, rates are, well, competitive, but the problem,
aside from not being able to share the signal to other TV sets in the
house, is the lack of channels. Understandably, they're just
starting. But it's really tempting. Maybe I will just wait for a
while for their channel line up start to increase.

SUN Wireless Broadband Prepaid

Today I got myself a SUN Wireless Broadband Prepaid (I would like to give SUN a chance on the data side, because their voice service is not so advisable). 

Got it at the SM Mall of Asia SUN shop. I was supposed to get one yesterday, at the SM Bacoor SUN Shop (it's close to our place), but they didn't have the stock. Then I was supposed to get the SMART Bro prepaid stick (also at SM Bacoor), but it too was out of stock.

I already have two (2) USB wireless broadband sticks, both from Globe (a Huawei E160 and a ZTE), but Globe has no 3G signal here at Ospital ng Maynila, and I saw a Junior Intern with a SUN wireless modem and the speed was impressive. And the signal was strong. That made me decide to get a SUN (and to shell out P1850). I can't stand not being connected to the internet in a day (talk about an addict!!!!). 

Anyways, the new USB stick is a HUAWEI e155 or e1550 (as written on the box). And the box is smaller than their previous modem. The box too was funny, there's a typographical error on the description at the back. It goes "Sun Broadband Wirelss has the Most Advanced Mobile Broadband internet technology. Utilizing 3.5G High-Speed Packet Access technology on an All-IP network. Sun Broadband Wireless gives you superior mobile broadband experience. And because it's backed by EDGE/GPRS technology, you can access the internet even in areas where 3.5G is now yet available." 

It comes with a SIM card and that's it. No USB extension cables, no frills. I had a problem confirming how the loading system works, even the girl on the counter was not sure on the validity of the loads goes.

The USB stick comes with 5 hours of free load, that means, I don't have to load to get me thru the night and the whole day tomorrow.

When I got back, I immediately plugged the USB modem into my mac and here I am now, a couple of hours later, enjoying the speed and connectivity this little wonder has given me.

So why did I choose SUN? Well, my primary choice was Globe (since I have the modems already), but was disappointed to find out that only 2G signal was available here at the hospital. I was also supposed to get SMART Bro when the SUN shop at our place didn't have the stocks of their modems. I thought that it would be nice to have a SMART Bro Modem too so I can use it when we go to the province. Admittedly, SMART has a wider coverage than Globe or SUN. But that will be for another year or so, because I still don't have plans to go to the province anytime soon. 

Within the Metropolis, I guess having both SUN and Globe's mobile internet modems at hand will give me seamless connectivity. 

So far, so good with SUN here at the Ospital ng Maynila, I don't know in other places. Some of my friends recommend SUN, and others say, it's not doing good. But I say, it's always about the location. If I get a poor signal with SUN then there's always Globe, who has a very good coverage here in the city.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

Saw the movie last night, I was as excited as my son Sean when the movie started, when I saw Sideswipe transform, when I saw that Backhoe crane transform and when that Audi R8 started to move. But there were mixed feelings on the movie itself. 

Before the movie, I heard that someone was going to die, and was anticipating every scene in the movie, and when we got to that point, I was optimistic that it's just going to be temporary, heck even Megatron was brought back to life right? And if they would really kill him, then what's the point of doing another movie without him right? 

Anyways, ok the movie was exciting, may be because I am a really big fan of the Transformers but the plot was thin and confusing, perhaps that's how they made the movie, so that there will be lots of places where they can connect to for the next movie.

The disappointing and corny parts were, the Micro-Transformers, the kitchen appliances that turned into robots where reminiscent of the gremlins or goolies of the 80's. That Bumblebee started to shed loads of tears when Sam told him he's leaving him. Oh and the human never leaves the Autobot behind. And what the hell was the character of the twins and wheelie about? Why give them such a cartoonish character? Wheelie humping like a dog? Hmmmm not so appealing, take note that a lot of kids are going to see this movie. And parents will have a hard time explaining what the funny thing about the scene is all about. And robots are not suppose to leak out secretions, in all the fight scenes, the robots would spit out fluid like blood, oh come on! They were even spitting on Sam! Naman! And the alien concept thing, where's Sigourney Weaver? Now they turned organic? Having Jetfire in the movie and how he bares the Decepticon mark but has long been with the Autobots was another fun idea, but he was too cartoonish and outright incomprehensible. Devestator was a disappointment, what is he? Rotating neck? hmmmm ugly! one cannot even distinguish the different constructicons in him. 

Then there's Megan Fox's lips, my! They have grown! What gives? She's not too hot yet? Tsk tsk

Oh well, next stop, GI Joe the movie

SMART offers “ultimate unlimited” calling to 38M subscribers

Smart Communications Inc. (SMART), the country's leading wireless services provider, launched today a new service that enables SMART Buddy and SMART Gold subscribers to make unlimited calls to over 38 million mobile phone users on the SMART network.

Called Smartalk, the new service will be available starting June 26, does not require any changes in SIM or cell phone number, and can be enjoyed by SMART Buddy and SMART Gold subscribers.
                                                                                     
SMART subscribers will be able to avail of the service by purchasing loads for unlimited calls which come in two denominations. The first is "Smartalk 100" which for P100 offers 5 days of unlimited calls to any subscriber on the SMART network anywhere in the country, at any time of the day.

Another variant, "Smartalk 500", offers 30 days of unlimited calls to any subscriber on the SMART network for only P500 – effectively reducing the cost to as low as P17 for a whole day of unlimited calling to any number within the country's largest mobile subscriber base.

"With this new service, SMART subscribers all over the country need only one phone, one SIM, and one number, to be able to make unlimited, crystal-clear calls to over 38 million SMART numbers anytime, anywhere," said Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of SMART, and also one of its founders.

"This is our way of helping out our subscribers in these difficult times and is our response to the government's call for more affordable telecommunications services," added Vea.

"This is the ultimate unlimited. Smartalk re-writes the rules in the way 'unlimited' mobile services are made available to Filipinos -- no other service offering provides unlimited, nationwide calling to a subscriber base as large as SMART's, while assuring callers of crystal-clear signal quality anywhere in the country," said Danilo Mojica, head of SMART's wireless consumer division.

SMART Buddy prepaid subscribers may avail of Smartalk through registration. A subscriber just needs to send Talk100 to 6400 for a Smartalk 100 package, or Talk500 to 6400 for a Smartalk 500 load. The payment for the package bought will be automatically deducted from subscriber's prepaid load, and they just need to have a P1 maintaining balance.

They can also buy these Smartalk packages as a load from any of over a million SMART Load retailers all over the country.

When making a call using the Smartalk unlimited package, SMART Buddy subscribers just need to dial *6400 plus the 11-digit subscriber number being called, eg., *640009181234567.

Subscribers of SMART Gold, the telco's pioneering postpaid brand, may also stretch their monthly budget for mobile services by availing of Smartalk.

All SMART Gold subscribers from Plan 800 and up may avail of 30 days of unlimited calls to any number within the SMART network, with Smartalk 500. They just need to send Talk500 to 6400 to purchase the package, and the 500-peso charge will be billed on top of their monthly service fee (MSF).

SMART Gold subscribers can also purchase Smartalk 100 or Smartalk 500, from any of over a million SMART Load retailers all over the country. This is best for post-paid subscribers who prefer to stay within their MSF cap yet need to avail of unlimited calling service through the convenience of a prepaid package.

SMART is widely credited for having made mobile phone services much more affordable and accessible, when it introduced sachet-size packets of prepaid airtime through Smart Load. The electronic load platform has also enabled SMART to offer a wide variety of call and text packages that are specially designed to be affordable, and made available through a wide network of retailers present in every corner of the country.

"Over the years we have progressively lowered the costs of our services and designed our offers to truly meet the varying needs and purchasing power of our subscribers. By offering Smartalk -- a service that's easy to understand, ubiquitous, and affordable – SMART once again transforms the playing field and offers real value to mobile subscribers," Vea said.

Smartalk will be offered nationwide until September 30, 2009. For more information, visithttp://www.smart.com.ph/.

HTC Magic

Looks like there's something going on with the official launching of HTC Magic locally (Philippines). Globe made an earlier announcement in their website about releasing the smartphone locally, but only on a specific Business Center. 

Then Smart claims they have the exclusivity on the said handset. By the way things are, looks like Smart was surprised by Globe's move, since the local distributor of HTC was only in talks with Smart.

There are speculations that Globe got hold of the smartphone thru it's partner, SingTel.

Sun Cellular's So So Service

It's almost a month since I got my Sun Cellular Postpaid subscription. It was more of a "need" decision since the hospital is requiring everyone to have a Sun Cellular line for ease of communications. 

At first it was fun, to talk to someone at the other end of the table thru mobile phone (something that wouldn't be fun for an ordinary subscription, from Globe or Smart, not even Red Mobile matches the Unlimited mojo of Sun Cellular). 

But I guess all good things must come to an end, as the signal and voice deteriorated thru that short time. It wasn't fun anymore when I have to talk to a consultant but gets a very choppy reception. Neither is it fun when the signal strength drops when I am inside a room. 

Overall, I hope that this will help bring down my monthly bill from Globe, so, a lot of luck to me.

is trying out Hellot

is trying out Hellotxt to send updates to a handful of Social Networks he's got an account in

Sun Cellular Wireless Broadband now on Prepaid

Sun Cellular

Well, this was inevitable. Yup, Sun Cellular Wireless Broadband now has a Prepaid option in their line-up. Another score for the consumers. That means, one more choice in deciding on which wireless broadband to get. If asked which one is better to get, I always say, it depends.
It depends on the area of use, it depends on which network offers better signal in that area.

This Sun Cellular Wireless Broadband uses almost the same USB Stick Modem as Globe does. A Huawei 160. Pretty nice to look at for a device. And very capable too! The difference between Globe's Tattoo is the pricing scheme. Sun has three (3) options, while Globe and Smart offers only one. With Sun, the more value is loaded the cheaper the per minute charge becomes.

Updated Visibility ZTE Modem Firmware

I just update the firmware of my ZTE Globe Visibility USB modem, the only visible change were the "Visibility" Icon instead of the "3G" icon before and the SMS capability for the Mac.

Unfortunately though, the SMS function for Mac seems a bit buggy, I inquired about the remaining balance of the device, it received a message but nothing was in it.

The unit is functioning properly, in fact, I'm using it now to post this.

Globe DUO part 2

Globe Telecom - Home

Finally took the dive! I activated my DUO line, that means for 3 months I'll be paying for the P399 extra on my mobile phone bill and another P599 on my Globelines Wireless Landline.

Calling from my DUO activated phone to a landline gave good reception and worked flawlessly. But I can't say the same for incoming calls.

The first problem I encountered was the landline number that the system gave me, well, it's a bit long. So, when I dial that number from a regular landline, I get a busy or error tone after the 8th number. But after calling a phone with Caller ID display, I was able to retrieve my "true" landline number (but later this night, a system text was sent to me and gave me the same corrected landline number.

2nd problem was that, when I try calling the landline number of my DUO, 3 out of 4 will give me a busy number. I just hope Globe can correct this problem immediately.

And the 3rd (it's actually not a problem), well, the system knows when I am outside the area code subscribed and prompts the caller (landline) to call my mobile number instead.

The End of Point and Shoot Cameras

Engadget

Nikon is gearing up to release this "entry-level" DSLR, if it's true and this will eat up the market for point-and-shoot buyers. Though I must admit that not all will be enticed to get a DSLR, maybe because of the bulk of it. But for conscious shoppers, if the price difference will be very small, then I would definitely suggest getting one of these than a point-and-shoot.

Just now, many "capable" people are getting themselves a DSLR, even if they already own a point-and-shoot and most of these people use their DSLR as point-and-shoot cameras, tsk what a waste of features. Just to be seen holding a DSLR can perhaps boost one's ego.

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Globe Telecom - Duo

Globe Telecom - Duo

Here's new Globe's offering, it's a mobile phone and wireless landline in one. It's P399/mo on top of your monthly fee. The subscriber will be given a landline number while retaining his/her old mobile number, it's on a monthly basis, and can opt out anytime.

I would get one but I'm still tied with Globe's Globelines Wireless Landline, perhaps when this line expires, I'm going to get this, more convenient, using only one handset and perhaps, no limitations on areas that are not very well covered.

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SMART Bro Powered EeePC

SMART launches BRO-powered netbooks for mobile broadband fans

[March 18, 2009/ Manila] - From the company which offered SMART Bro Prepaid, the country's first prepaid wireless broadband service, comes a new product designed to be the perfect companion for highly mobile and increasingly tech-savvy individuals.

Leading wireless services operator Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), through its wholly-owned subsidiary SMART Broadband, Inc. (SBI), just launched the country's first netbook with built-in, high-speed broadband connectivity, powered by SMART Bro.

SMART Bro wireless broadband modems now come embedded on units of the Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO, one of the newest models from the Taiwanese PC maker's trend-setting line of 'netbooks' – or small but full-featured laptops that are built primarily for computing on-the-go.

The built-in SMART Bro modem and the SMART Bro data SIM that comes with the bundle allow the Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO to connect wirelessly to SMART's nationwide HSPA network, offering fans of mobile broadband a complete, ready-to-run Internet experience in an all-in-one device, right out of the box.

HSPA is the latest evolution of the GSM technology, and is likened to having the high-speed, cable broadband experience delivered right to a mobile device.

The SMART Bro-powered Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO is available via the Plan 799 monthly subscription, which comes with up to 60 hours of Internet access, at speeds of up to 2 mbps in key cities in the country. Usage in excess of 60 hours will be charged P10 for every 30 minutes.

Initial cash-out for the 24-month subscription is P1,000 for the laptop plus P799 for the first monthly service fee, for a total of P1,799. The same amount goes for the monthly fee for the package. Interested subscribers may apply for the plan at selected SMART Wireless Centers in Metro Manila.

"As we innovate and offer more and more services under our mobile broadband portfolio, we hope to advance our 'Internet for All' agenda, to bring the benefits of broadband Internet to the grassroots," said Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of SMART.

Progress Notes: STABLE program part I

These were during the very 1st S.T.A.B.L.E. Program at FDMMC. Slots were full at 40 individuals from Consultants, to Residents to Nurses.