Techy Kunuhay

An hour for Mother Earth: Turn off Technology

2010-03-27T04:02:00.001-07:00

An hour for Mother Earth: Turn off Technology for Earth hour event where around 15 million Filipinos are expected to be part of some one billion people worldwide who will switch off their lights for one hour for the environment Saturday evening.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said the switch-off at 8:30 p.m. of March 27 will be the highlight of Earth Hour, which has been observed in the last three years.

“The switch-off signifies the start of a very personal and lasting lifestyle change to minimize our ecological impacts and to do our bit for a more sustainable planet. Personal pledges can take many forms, from upgrading to energy-efficient appliances to planting and stewarding a small grove of native trees," WWF said in its website.

WWF reminded the public that Earth Hour does not end when the lights are switched back on. Earth Hour was crafted to take a stand against climate change, and became a worldwide phenomenon in 2008 and 2009. The Philippines placed first in this event globally in terms of town and city participation.

Since the observance of Earth Hour in 2009, each of the Earth Hour allies has advocated for the adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient practices.

Google fights China

2010-03-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

Google has shut its mainland Chinese-language portal and began rerouting searches to its Hong Kong site. China warns Google that its spurning of self-censorship had angered the one-party government, wary of ceding control over China's 384 million Internet users.

Google startled the world and the business community in January when it said it might quit China over censorship and after suffering from a sophisticated hacking attack that it said came from within China. Beijing has denied it was involved in any hacking.

Analysts said it was possible Google's plans for other services in China, such as its Android smartphone software, could be jeopardized by its move. Google's troubles in China are not unique. Many foreign companies such as eBay and Yahoo! have failed to make headway in the market due to localization problems and stiff domestic competition and have pulled out.

Internationally popular websites Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube are blocked in China. A former British colony, Hong Kong enjoys more freedom, including an uncensored Internet, than mainland China.

But Google acknowledged that the Chinese government could at any time block access to the services, which include Google search, news and images.

Enter the WePad?

2010-03-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

The WePad, you know because "we" is plural of "I"? Compared to the iPad with its 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, webcam, two USB ports, flash card reader, UMTS modem, and a mooted six hours of battery life, I could see picking one up -- provided the price point is decent.

A German company the manufacturer Neofonie, also has designs on a WePad app store and, if all goes according to plan, this thing'll sport genuine Google Android and the Android Market. The company also mentions something called the "WeMagazine publishing ecosystem," the basis of a turn-key operation for getting your own branded device out on the e-reader market.

So far, here's a comparison:

Cloak of invisibility almost a reality

2010-03-19T03:50:00.001-07:00

Cloak of invisibility almost a reality just like in the movies and games. From Harry Potter's the cloak of invisibility, to other sci-fi and fantasy movies. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality.
Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies.

"In principle, the cloak design is completely scalable; there is no limit to it," Ergin said. But, he added, developing a cloak to hide something takes a long time, "so cloaking larger items with that technology is not really feasible."
"Other fabrication techniques, though, might lead to larger cloaks."

In cloaking, special materials deflect radar, light or other waves around an object, like water flowing around a smooth rock in a stream. It differs from stealth technology, which does not make an aircraft invisible but reduces the cross-section available to radar, making it hard to track.

Ergin's research was supported by the German Research Council, the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the European Commission and the German Ministry for Education and Research.

Facebook beats Google as Most-Visited Site

2010-03-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

Facebook beats Google as Most-Visited Site!! This is according to hitwise as a Social network beat a search engine in the U.S..

This is a major win for Facebook. The ability to represent the social network as the number one site should count for a lot as corporate representatives talk to advertisers and investors, and could result in a direct boost in revenue. There could be momentum from user interest since most people like to be part of something that's popular.

But this doesn't mean people will stop searching on google, this just goes to show the stickiness and the rising users and interest in this social network we call facebook.

Smartphone Battery Tricks

2010-03-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some Smartphone Battery Tricks for first time users of and a recent convert to smartphones. Naturally they don't have such a long battery life when in use due to obviously so many applications or programs one can do with it, in short: the more you do, the shorter your phone's battery lasts.

1. Dim It - The brighter your screen, the more juice you're using. If you're in a dimly lit room, turn down your LCD screen's brightness. If your device has an autodimming feature that detects the light in a room, use it. Similarly, if you use your smartphone or laptop to play music, lower the volume.

2. Turn off applications - It is great that you can use Bluetooth technology to connect your smartphone to a headset, or use Wi–Fi to speed up the downloading of e–mail messages. But when you're not using that headset or not near a Wi–Fi hot spot, turn off those features on the phone or laptop.

3. Signal Search - Smartphones also continually looks for network signals. If you're in a weak signal area, your phone must work even harder to find one, decreasing battery life. If your G.S.M. 3G network is not available or the signal is weak, the battery will drain faster looking for one.

4. Check Mail Manually - Simply put, auto-notifications (of some phone apps) drains power. You don't need to check your email every minute now do you?
Turn Off Everything

5. Disable the Animations/fancy effects (graphics or sounds included) - The hotter your laptop feels, the more battery power it is using. And one of the biggest users of power is Flash animation, the technology behind many online videos and animated ads. To improve battery life, disable Flash when not using wall power.

6. Get an App to Aid You - There are a number of applications that can help monitor battery life and shut off various functions that cut down on a mobile device's effective power.

7. Realize the End Will Come - Lithium–ion batteries cannot be overcharged; a device's circuitry cuts off the power when they are full. However, manufacturers still recommend that a laptop not be continually connected to power once the battery is at its capacity. If a laptop won't be used for several months, it should be stored with the battery in a 50 percent charge state.

No matter how well you care for your battery, there comes a time when you'll need to send your battery to its final resting place though.

I hope these Smartphone Battery Tricks can help you enhance your smartphone experience.

Pi Day and Albert Einstein's Birthday

2010-03-14T04:58:00.001-07:00

Pi Day is here and let us all celebrate as well Albert Einstein's Birthday on this year's Pi Day!! Pi, is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…

With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational and transcendental number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737.

Text Service Inquiry from Social Security System

2010-03-06T05:54:00.001-08:00

Text Service Inquiry from Social Security System. If you have queries on the members’ contribution, loan eligibility, or loan balances, just send it via SMS.

The new Text-SSS facility is said to being implemented in partnership with EGG and Sybase Solutions Corporation. This is an alternative means though, so that members can obtain faster information about their SSS. The service is called Text-SSS; an information service system allowing members to inquire SSS related info via text messages or SMS. Using the mobile phone, members can register and get their PIN simply by texting the word 'SSS' and sending to 2910 or 2600.

So far, no other information released yet, like the formats of other SMS to send for every query.

It totally beats waiting in line on their office but still a development nonetheless despite the still crazy and slow processing of sss requirements though.

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 pops up

2010-02-28T07:14:00.001-08:00

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 pops up as Fujitsu’s very own version of a pocket computer. So if its not a netbook or smartbook, its a lifebook? It has a 5.6-inch touch screen and weighs only half a kilo. See below for Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 specs:

5.6-inch screen @ 1280×800 pixels
Intel Atom Processor Z530 1.6GHz
Intel GMA 500
2GB DDR2 RAM
62GB SSD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
0.78 MP webcam
SD/SDHC Slot

The built-in battery is also good for u to 3 hours (same as the one with the Vaio P). Runs Windows 7 Home Premium. They say it also has an optional 3G/HSDPA modem.

Asus shows 9″ DR-900 e-Reader

2010-02-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

When kindle came I was interested but didn’t had the cash and didn’t know anybody who had one, but for ASUS DR-900, I was even more excited. It is almost similar to the size of of the Kindle DX, the Asus DR-900 eReader boasts of very long battery life — up to 10,000 page turns on a single charge.

The 9-inch screen has a resolution of 1024×768 pixels and support for PDF, ePub and HTML files. The device comes with WiFi connectivity with an optional 3G/HSDPA slot as well. There’s a 2GB and 4GB built-in storage with SD card slot for expansion as well as a USB port and 3.5mm jack.

I’ve been a fan w/ ASUS for a while now and this really makes me want to buy it even more, but then again I have to finish all these other books I have at home before switching to e-reading though.

Smartbro Surf TV = Internet + TV?

2010-02-26T02:46:00.001-08:00

It’s not Smartbro Smart TV, but Smartbro Surf TV. It’s a new product from Smart Communications which was just recently launched. This product allows subscribers to surf the web directly from the TV. So would that make it like Smartbro Surf TV = Internet + TV? or vice versa? Who knows, it would be best to get some feedback from users and of course if I can try it myself.

The kit is worth roughly Php4,500.00 and is available at Smart Wireless centers. Same as the usual Smart internet cost, every internet access using Smartbro Surf TV will cost you Php10.00 per 30 minutes. Before buying this device, you need to make sure that you have 3G or HSPA coverage in your location.

“Over the last few years we have been steadily advancing our Internet for All advocacy and investing our energies to make wireless Internet more affordable and widely available – whether via mobile phone, the PC, or laptop – anytime, anywhere, so that Filipinos may benefit from it. Offering Smart Bro SurfTV is a natural progression of that strategy, this is a service that will put the Internet right in the homes of Filipino families,” said Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of SMART.

It's basically a device that connects to a television set through a quick and easy procedure, to provide Internet access using Smart Bro’s nationwide coverage. When plugged into the RCA port of a color TV set, Smart Bro SurfTV provides users a ready-to-run Internet experience, and users can surf, chat, and email –- through a multi-tasking TV — at home.

Support Earth Hour 2010: Turn off Technology

2010-02-25T03:06:00.001-08:00

Support Earth Hour 2010: Turn off Technology. Mark your calendar! Earth Hour will take place on March 27, 2010 (8:30PM to 9:30PM).

"Earth Hour is a global call to action to every individual, business, school and community to take a stand against climate change."

In 2007, 2.2 million residents of Sydney, Australia participated in Earth Hour event by turning off all unnecessary lights and appliances in their household for 60 minutes. That was the very beginning of this campaign which was pioneered by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). It aims to increase awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. And by 2008, following Sydney’s lead, many cities around the world adopted the event.

Everyone can show their support. Check the following guidelines. (From Earth Hour’s Webpage)
1. Turning off your lights at 8.30PM on March 27
2. Showing your support and adding yourself to our world map
3. Adding Earth Hour widgets, logos and banners to your blog or website to help us spread the word
4. Talking about Earth Hour in your social network by updating your Facebook status, grabbing a Twibbon, tweeting about your support, and more
5. Get together with your friends and family, by hosting an Earth Hour party or holding your own candlelit affair
6. Rally your local council or community group to run an Earth Hour event for your community
7. Encourage your employer and workmates to take part in Earth Hour and make energy savings every day
8. Make an Earth Hour Lantern as a symbol of hope for the future
9. Be creative! Find a new way to mark Earth Hour and let us know all about it!

iblog6: The 6th Philippine Blogging Summit

2010-02-17T03:17:00.000-08:00

This year, iblog6: The 6th Philippine Blogging Summit will be targeted to bloggers and businesses interested in blog marketing. The first day will actually discuss blog marketing in the business aspect – on how companies can tap blogs to promote their products. The second day will be the usual iBlog summit which is really more for newbie bloggers.

Click register for the event. And it's free! For those who want to sponsor the event, click here to read their sponsorship package.

Here is the Program for the 2 day event:

Day 1 (April 16, 2010)

9:00 – 9:20 Opening Ceremonies (National Anthem, Welcome)
9:20 – 9:40 Blogging for Business (Janette Toral)
9:50 – 10:10 Tapping Bloggers to Generate Buzz (Jayvee Fernandez)

10:20 to 10:35 BREAK

10:35 – 11:05 Advertising in Blogs (Abe Olandres and Carlos Palma)
11:20 – 11:40 SPONSOR talk

12:00 – 1:15 LUNCH / NETWORKING

1:15 – 1:35 SEO & Blogging to Promote Your Business (Francis Gary Viray)
1:50 – 2:10 Measuring Blog Buzz (Carlo Ople)
2:25 – 2:45 Legal Concerns in Blogging for Business (JJ Disini)

3:00 – 3:20 BREAK

3:20 – 3:40 Blogger and Advertiser: What is the Win-Win Relationship? (Diana Paterno)
3:50 – 4:10 Online Attraction Marketing (Manuel Viloria)

4:20 RAFFLE and GROUP PICTURE

Day 2 (April 17, 2010)

8:45 Opening Ceremonies (National Anthem & Welcome)
9:00 – 9:20 Blogging 101 (Hannah Villasis)
9:30 – 10:00 Video Blogging 101 (Vince Golangco)
10:15 – 10:35 Photo Blogging 101 (Juned Sonido)

10:50 – 11:05 BREAK

11:05 – 11:40 Political, Online Commentary, Social Media, & Election Blogging 2010 (Marck Ronald Rimorin and Noemi Dado)

12:00 – 1:15 LUNCH & NETWORKING

1:15 – 1:35 (SPONSOR TALK)
1:50 – 2:10 Launching Successful Blog Contests (Jinoe Gavan)
2:25 – 2:45 Blog Policies (UP-ISP)

3:00 – 3:15 BREAK

3:15 – 3:35 Impact of Blogging to the Community (Joseph Gonzales)
3:50 – 4:10 SEO: A Must for Making Money Online (Marhgil Macuha)

4:30 RAFFLE, iBlog Video Contest Winner Announcement, & GROUP PHOTO

Here comes the Windows 7 series phone

2010-02-16T04:29:00.001-08:00

Say Goodbye to your Windows Mobile and say Hello to Windows 7 Phone Series! Microsoft has revealed their newest mobile operating system – the Windows Phone 7 Series. Windows Phone 7 Series is not only a rebranding and a redesign of Windows Mobile but a completely new and fresh mobile operating system. This new mobile operating system looks like it was built from scratch because there are no traces of the old Windows Mobile – everything is supposed to be brand new.

See below a short video featuring the user interface of the Windows Phone 7 Series.

Based from what I have gathered and seen, it doesn’t look like anything close to windows mobile. I have tried out the older version of windows mobile and one of the latest from HTC phones but this is just totally different, I don’t feel a sense of “copying” from Android or from iphone MAC OS, I am looking forward to this.

Visit the official Windows Phone 7 Series website..

How to type a Heart "♥"

2010-02-15T00:44:00.001-08:00

How to type a Heart "♥"? Since its gonna be a month of love aside from Chinese New Year Celebrations, you need this to express your feelings to a loved one who is in another country or someone you like.

This should work in any Windows word processor, text editor, browser or email client. Just follow the How to type a Heart "♥" instructions below:

1. Make sure your keyboard is in NumLock mode.
2. Hold down the ALT key and enter the number on the numeric keypad. (Note that many laptops have a blue FN key that changes a set of keys, also with blue numbers on them and usually in the 7-8-9-U-I-O area, into a numeric keypad.)

for ☺ 1
for ☻ 2
for ♥ 3 <===
for ♦ 4
for ♣ 5
for ♠ 6
for • 7
for ◘ 8
for ○ 9
for ◙ 10
for ♂ 11
for ♀ 12
for ♪ 13
for ♫ 14
for ☼ 15
for ► 16
for ◄ 17
for ↕ 18
for ‼ 19
for ¶ 20
for § 21
for ▬ 22
for ↨ 23
for ↑ 24
for ↓ 25
for → 26
for ← 27
for ∟ 28
for ↔ 29
for ▲ 30
for ▼ 31

You can use the heart in combination to these other symbols ☺ Enjoy and happy hearts day!

Enter the Smartbooks: HP Compaq Airlife 100

2010-02-13T06:31:00.001-08:00

HP’s first smartbook, the Compaq Airlife 100 resembles the slim and small netbook, although there are some significant differences. The OS is Android 1.6 Cupcake, complete with a resistive touch screen, and the keyboard has been reworked to suit Google’s platform. Keeping the whole thing moving is Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a large keyboard (92% of full size), 16GB solid state drive, SD card slot, VGA webcam, and WiFi connectivity.

Basically a smartbook is supposed to be the hybrid of a netbook and a smartphones, one thing I like about this is that the icons are larger than you’d find on a regular Android smartphone, and HP have taken the standard webkit-based browser and thrown in tabbed browsing. As far as resume time, with the Airlife 100 it’s ready to use as soon as the lid is opened.

One of the advantages of using a smartphone platform is battery life, and even though people are still more comfortable with the Windows environment, it’s proven that there are plenty of users out there who use alternative OS (Linux, Mac, and Android). The battery life has been cited to last for 12 hours and boasts a standby time of 10 days. The European market can expect the HP smartbook this spring and details on pricing and worldwide release were not mentioned yet. Will HP finally intensify their Compaq brand with the Airlife 100?

The AirLife will probably have access to the Android app store with applications optimized for a small screen. Another is the instant startup time and comprehensive connectivity suite (from Wi-Fi to HSDPA and even WiMAX) which keeps this device always online.

I expected the smartbook OS to be updated to be like Android 2.1 but maybe they have not optimized it yet for smartbooks. Android came from linux in which I believe will be easy to get used to and has some unique features not in windows (and vice versa).

Having been exposed to Android OS from HTC smartphones, I find the Android OS to be more fancy and quite easy to learn. I will be expecting as well to have “extended screens or desktop” similar to that in smartphones which I like.

Will you get this smartbook? I just bought a netbook in which is useful for my blogging but I want to get my hands on this smartbook (What possibly can I use this for?)

Gimme some ideas!!

The Google Buzz

2010-02-12T01:04:00.001-08:00

Google Buzz is a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting. Google Buzz is built right into Gmail, so you don't have to peck out an entirely new set of friends from scratch — it just works. If you think about it, there's always been a big social network underlying Gmail. Google Buzz brings this network to the surface by automatically setting you up to follow the people you email and chat with the most. Google Buzz is focused on building an easy-to-use sharing experience that richly integrates photos, videos and links, and makes it easy to share publicly or privately (so you don't have to use different tools to share with different audiences). Plus, Buzz integrates tightly with your existing Gmail inbox, so you're sure to see the stuff that matters most as it happens in real time.

Determined not to be left behind in the social media revolution, Google officially launched today a new product called Google Buzz which confirms earlier rumors of a new social status feature being integrated into Gmail.

Check out the Google Buzz Video:

Check out Google Buzz for Mobile:

Check out Google Buzz Event:

Google Buzz was presented to the media by Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president for product management. With the creation of Google Buzz – the integration of status updates and media-sharing technology into the Gmail interface, Google hopes that Gmail users would be spending more time on Google’s sites instead of going to other social media sharing sites like Twitter, Facebook or FriendFeed.

Check out the Google Buzz Site HERE.

shopToshiba Store opens @ SM City Cebu

2010-02-11T00:50:00.001-08:00

shopToshiba Store opens @ SM City Cebu. PHILIPPINES, 10 February 2010 - Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd’s Computer Systems Division, in partnership with their mobile computing partner, Tricom Dynamics Inc, announced the grand opening of its first Concept Store at SM City in North Reclamation Area, Cebu City. This shopToshiba Concept Store will strengthen their presence in the Visayas region and increase market in the retail of Toshiba premium laptops.

Ms. Krislyn Chia, Toshiba Singapore’s Assistant Manager, Toshiba Computer Systems Division, said that with its strategic location at the 3rd level of SM City Cebu’s Cyberzone, the shopToshiba Concept Store will showcase Toshiba’s innovative, high quality and stylishly-designed notebook computers with several enhancements to its line of Qosmio, Satellite, Satellite Pro, Tecra, PORTEGE notebook computers and not forgetting netbooks. This is in line with Toshiba being the first notebook computer maker to celebrate 25 years of notebook innovations and quality. During this celebration, Toshiba would like to engage with consumers more through rich experiences enabled by new and emergent technology.

Convenience for Costumers

“The new shopToshiba Concept Store brings together the complete notebook PC line into one shop in downtown Cebu,” said Ms. Juno Limjap-Sison, Tricom Marketing and Communications Officer. “The convenient location makes it easy for our costumers to come and view our products.”

“We now have a shop floor to showcase what Toshiba’s world-class leading products are capable of.” TRICOM Dynamics President, Mr. Edgardo B. Isleta.

iServ – Toshiba’s Authorized Service Center in SM City Cebu

Finally, a service center that is easily accessible. Customers may now have their notebooks checked while they stroll around the mall, or relax while they wait in the cool lounge area of iServ located within the shopToshiba Concept Store. This Service Center is a service location fully endorsed by Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd., where service personnel are fully certified by Toshiba and service parts used are originals supplied by Toshiba.

Toshiba broadens its Satellite and Portege lineup featuring NEW 2010 Intel Core Processors and Multi Touch Screen Technology.

Satellite M500 (Premier Series): Empower your fingers with Multi Touch Screen Technology
Toshiba strives to make the notebook PC a natural tool for improving everyday life and let you discover easy and exciting new ways to have fun and get things done with your PC. With the latest Intel’s Core i5-520M Processor coupled with Windows 7 operating system, the touch-screen technology on the Satellite M500 Premier Series offers users a natural way to navigate through their digital world, enhancing the mobile computing experience.

Browse through newspapers and Web pages with ease, of flick through photo albums fast. Users can also easily sift through long lists and files with a natural swirling motion. With multitouch technology, zoom in and out by placing two fingers on the screen and moving them apart. To rotate images, press on the image with one finger and use another one to turn it in the direction you want.

The Satellite M500’s touch-screen technology also works wonderfully with Toshiba Bulletin Board™ and Toshiba ReelTime™.

Toshiba Bulletin Board™—Gives users fast access to day-to-day activities, tasks and projects in a simple and visual way. Bulletin Board makes organizing disparately stored files easier with the ability to drag and drop links, documents, photos, videos and applications into one place. Customize and organize the board by moving, rotating and resizing using gestures to fit personalized style. Bulletin Board also includes several built-in gadgets such as labels, calendars, a clock and a to-do list.

Toshiba ReelTime™—Helps users easily and quickly find files based on when they were opened with a simple visual history. With the flick of a finger, quickly scroll through automatically generated previews of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more, filter by file type or use the calendar to go back weeks or months.

Sustainable and environment friendly

As a responsible global corporate citizen, Toshiba ensures that all laptops are RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Additionally, the Toshiba Power Saving Eco Utility, accessible via a dedicated button, helps to reduce power consumption. It displays current power consumption and the power savings achieved by activating Eco Mode in Watts or translated into CO2 emissions.

Toshiba remains committed to providing users around the world with innovative notebook PCs that bring new capabilities and heightened convenience, Toshiba also seeks to contribute to lower CO2 from the home by developing notebook PCs that use less energy than desktop PCs. Use of Toshiba notebook PCs will contribute to lower CO2 emission from the home by approximately 80g per day1, or almost 30kg per year2. This is half the level of CO2 emissions from desktop PCs.

About Toshiba

Established in 1875, Toshiba Corporation is a global high technology product leader with 315 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Toshiba Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Its Singapore-based Computer Systems Division (CSD) is the regional headquarters for South and Southeast Asia. In addition to notebooks under the Qosmio, Satellite, Satellite Pro, TECRA, PORTEGE and libretto product brand names, the company also offers portable and wireless accessories for customers under the Toshiba brand name. Fore more information, visit the company’s website at www.pc.toshiba-asia.com.

Photo Credit: Sinjin

My Asus Eee PC 1005HA Dissection

2010-02-10T03:08:00.001-08:00

Here is my dissection of my little Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook. First and foremost, ASUS was the 1st company to introduce the “NETBOOK” line which is totally awesome. The 1005HA is one of the most popular member of the expanding ASUS Eee PC lineup, and while its specs is comparable to the 1008HA, the removable battery makes a lot of difference.

"Seemingly crafted by nature itself, the Eee PC Seashell draws its inspiration from seashells and its opalescent and glossy exterior is crafted by the innovative in-Mold Roller technology. It's so light and compact, you can take it anywhere with you! And with sleek curves and smooth lines hugging its lustrous shell, the Eee PC Seashell will easily charm passers-by wherever it goes." – Asus

General Specs:
• Intel Atom N270/80 @ 1.66GHz, 667MHz FSB
• 1-2 GB of 667MHz DDR2 Memory
• 10.1 inch LCD (1024x600 resolution); LED backlight, Color-Shine
• Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics
• Intel 945GSE chipset
• 160-250 GB Hitachi Travelstar 5K320 (5400RPM) 2.5 inch SATA II hard drive
• 10GB Eee Online Storage
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• No optical drive
• 1.3 megapixel webcam + Digital Array Microphone
• VGA Output
• USB 2.0 x 3
• RJ-45 (Ethernet 10/100)
• Headphone / Mic Input Jacks
• MMC/SD card reader
• Twin speakers
• Gesture-enabled trackpad (multi-touch)
• 92% full-size keyboard
• 2.8 Pounds (with battery installed)
• 1.4 inches thick
• Removable 6-cell Li-ion Battery (Up To 10.5 Claimed Hours of Computing)
• 10.2” (W) x 6.9” (D) x 1.4” (H)
• Windows XP Home or GNU Linux Xandros or Windows 7 Starter
• Color Options: White, Black, Pink, Blue
• Protective Sleeve
• 1-year limited warranty

In many of the same ways just like the Asus Eee PC 1000HE was a slightly revamped version of the 1000H, the 1005HA is just a mildly tweaked version of 1008HA. It has the following bundled software with just an application to access Eee Storage (10GB is available free of charge for a year and for a fee afterwards), Adobe Reader 8, a 30 day Microsoft Office trial, Skype, Microsoft Works and a Norton Security or trend micro Anti Virus Trial included.

What I like is that, Asus also includes its Super Hybrid Engine, which is an application that sits in the System Tray and enables users to easily switch from one power profile to another based on current usage scenarios. Although I would prefer some stylish aesthetics externally rather than the super glossy finger print prone exterior.

For me, overall it’s a balance of great specs. You can’t have everything though so I you want to go for pure usage reliability go for another brand but if you don’t want to get caught using something in public that isn’t too fancy for the eye look for another netbook brand. But for me this little machine is small but packs a punch and not too bad for the eyes.

And that ends my quick and simple ASUS EeePC 1005HA dissection!

The Gadget that Blogging got me

2010-02-09T02:41:00.001-08:00

Because of blogging I have gained not only friends offline and online as well. Blogging basically opened the doors to the Techy World as well. Learned a lot about the internet, technology and many more!

It basically sparked my interest in lots of areas about technology and at the same time through my 1st venture in the techy world, I was able to get a gadget which is the Asus Eee PC 1005HA!

I chose a netbook over a laptop since I wanted something light and can be used not only for my blogging but also for future endeavors in which I would have to use my mini-laptop on the go ^_^

It feels good that I didn’t have to spend much on this gadget since I use a combination of various incomes which came from Google Adsense, Sponsored posts, paypal and some add-on cash. Hopefully, next time around I will be able to use this other sources of income for investments.

Email Facts

2010-02-07T06:07:00.001-08:00

Here are some interesting Email Facts:

160 billion emails are sent daily, 97% of them are spam.

Spam generates 33bn KWt-hours of energy every year,

enough to power 2.4 million homes, producing 17 million tons of CO2.

9 out of every 1,000 computers are invected with spam.

Spammer get 1 response to every 12 million emails

they send (yet it still makes them a small profit).

The first electronic mail, or "email", was sent in 1972 by Ray Tomlinson.

It was also his idea to use the @ sign to separate the name of the user from the name of the computer.

Queen Elizabeth of Britain sent her first email in 1976.

Some 190 billion emails are sent daily - more than 2 million per second - by 1,2 billion email senders.

About 70% (133 billion emails) are spam and viruses.

There are about 1,4 billion registered email addresses.

Spam Facts

* 60 billion e-mails are sent daily
* 90% of all email is spam
* 64% of spam servers are in Taiwan, 23% are in the US

User Facts

* The average business user receives 25 email messages per day; increasing 10% per year
* The average business user spends 2.6 hours per day reading and responding to email
* 38% of employees have sent an e-mail without the required attachment
* 34.1% of users open an e-mail by 5 pm
* It takes 77 minutes a week for an employee to manage their mailbox, such as cleaning out old messages and filing old messages or attachments
* It takes 27 minutes for a user to delete or archive enough messages in order to be able to use the e-mail system again after hitting a “quota limit”
* It takes 8.2 minutes for a user to find an email that is older than two weeks

Email Marketing Facts

* E-mail click through ratio is best on Wednesdays, reaching 3.9%
* 60% of business correspondence has grammar or spelling errors

Age Facts

* 75% of adults prefer e-mail to IM, 75% of teens prefer IM to e-mail
* Less than one-fifth of teenagers use e-mail for communication

Extremely Scary Facts

* 60% of an organisations's intellectual property is in the e-mail system
* The typical user stores more than one-half of his/her critical business information within the confines of the e-mail system
* 38% of US and UK companies monitor and read e-mails written by employees

Laptop Care

2010-02-06T05:38:00.001-08:00

Now a days we are using laptops which is almost one of the essential thing in our life. Laptop care is mostly all of the time ignored since people are very excited to use or play with there new laptop. I have taken care of my old Toshiba Portege for almost a decade and I am proud to say that despite its age, it still works even though I finally retired it and replaced it w/ a netbook. See the Tips below:

1 Keep liquids away from your laptop. As tempting as it might be to drink coffee, soda, water or any other liquid near your laptop, accidents can happen all too easily. Spilled liquids may damage the internal components or cause electrical injury to the laptop. Short circuits can corrupt data or even permanently destroy parts. The solution is very simple: Keep your drinks away from your computer. Even if you're careful, someone else might bump into your desk or you. Or you can use a cup with a cover on it, so even if it does spill, the liquid doesn't go any where!

2 Keep food away from your laptop. Don't eat over your laptop. The crumbs can go down between the keys in the keyboard and provide an invitation to small bugs. The crumbs can also irritate the circuitry. Worse, it makes the laptop look dirty if there are crumbs and food stains on it.

3 Always have clean hands when using your laptop. Clean hands make it easier to use your laptop touchpad and there will be less risk of leaving dirt and other stains on the computer. In addition, if you clean your hands before use, you will help reduce wear and tear on the coating of the laptop caused by contact with sweat and small particles that can act upon the laptop's exterior underneath your wrists and fingers.

4 Protect the LCD display monitor. When you shut your laptop, make sure there are no small items, such as a pencil or small ear-phones, on the keyboard. These can damage the display screen when shut; the screen will scratch if the item is rough. Close the lid gently and holding from the middle. Closing the lid using only one side causes pressure on that hinge, and over time can cause it to bend and snap.

5 Hold and lift the computer by its base, not by its LCD display (the screen). If you lift it by the screen part alone, you could damage the display or the hinges attaching it to the base. The display is also easily scratched or damaged by direct pressure – avoid placing pressure on it.

6 Don't pull on the power cord. Tugging your power cord out from the power socket rather than putting your hand directly on the plug in the socket and pulling can break off the plug or damage the power socket. Also, if you have the power point near your feet, avoid constantly bumping into the plug or you could loosen it and eventually break it.

7 Don't roll your chair over the computer cord. Stick the cord onto your desk with tape or a special computer cord tie which can be easily undone when you've finished using the laptop. Always try to keep most of the cord away from the floor or your legs; sometimes you can be so engrossed in what you're doing that you move your legs and forget the cord is there.

8 Plug in accessory devices into their proper slots. Always look at the symbols on the laptop carefully before inserting devices. Jamming a phone line into an Ethernet port or vice versa could damage the sockets, making it impossible to use them again. It is very important to observe this step.

9 Handle any removable drives with care. Floppy drives or CD drives that have been removed from your laptop can easily get crushed, dropped or pressed if you are careless. Put them straight into a bag or a storage box/case for safe keeping if you are not putting them back into the laptop.

10 Insert drives into their slots carefully and at the correct angle. Pushing the wrong drive into a socket, or at an angle, or even upside down can jam it.

11 Check to see if labels are affixed securely before inserting media into your laptop computer. Media such as CDs, DVDs or floppy disks should not have any loose label parts that might jam inside the laptop drive. Never insert undersized CDs, as these can damage the disk player permanently.

12 Don't expose your laptop rapid temperature fluctuations. When bringing your laptop indoors during winter, don't turn it on immediately. Instead, let it warm to room temperature first. This will avoid any potential for damage to the disk drive from condensation forming inside the machine.

13 Don't leave your laptop in a car. Not only do the insides of cars experience large temperature swings that could damage a laptop, but a laptop (or laptop bag) is an inviting target for a smash and grab thief.

14 Have the unit cleaned once a year to remove internal dust. Get this done by a computer professional. If dust accumulates, the system cannot cool itself correctly. Heat can destroy the motherboard.

15 Use a properly-sized laptop case. Whatever you use to carry your laptop around in, be it a case, a bag or something you have made yourself, make sure that it it large enough to contain the laptop. This will avoid scratching, squeezing or even potentially dropping it.

16 Look into getting a laptop bag Many breaks happen because of laptops being dropped or bumped. A bag greatly reduces the risk of damage.

17 Use and store in a well circulated area. When your using your laptop, do so in a place that has a constant air-circulation. Lots of people ruin thier laptop by using it in an enclosed area and thus making the laptop overheat. It also helps if you store in a well circulated area.

18. Same goes for battery (If removable) and for your ac adapter/charger, these things do degrade through use and aging but don't expose them to heat or temperature fluctuations as well for it may shorten its life. And most of all just because they are parts, you take them for granted they are as important as your unit since without these you cant use it. And if you are feeling rich, go ahead, suffer the after service madness.

To make it short, when using around people BE PARANOID and overprotective of your Lappy period. But you also have to watch yourself! :D

Retiring my Toshiba Portege 3490CT

2010-02-05T02:50:00.001-08:00

Retiring my Toshiba Portege 3490CT is what I will be by the end of this month. I have lots of memories with my Toshiba Portege 3490CT with my ridiculously old laptop! I had it almost a decade but its still alive and kicking though.

So why retire it? Well, its really slow compared to my desktop, all the more my new netbook which I will be talking about later. My Toshiba is already an antique in its own right! It had external accessories such as its AC Adapter, External DVD drive (Can be Plugged in via a Card) and an external Floppy Disk drive (Yes its that Old).

Despite being pentium 3, it can still run Windows Xp which is not its pre-installed OS. Its pre-installed OS was Microsoft Windows 98 SE. Almost a decade of use makes be believe that toshiba does produce high quality products.

Here is its specs:
Processor - Pentium III 700 MHz
Display - 11.3 in. TFT Active Matrix
OS - Microsoft Windows 98 SE
RAM - 128 MB (SDRAM)
HDD - 20 GB
Graphic Processor - S3 Graphics, ProSavage 8
Installed Video Memmory - 8 MB
Expansion Ports - 1 x USB 1.1, VGA out, Parallel Port, Serial Port, PS/2 Port, RJ-11 (modem), RJ-45 (NIC)
Networking Type - Integrated Network Card • Infrared Port
Security Features - BIOS-Level Signature Authentication, Kensington Lock Slot, HDD Password, Keyboard Lock (Hotkey), Power-On Password, Administrator Password, Memory Screws
Battery Run time & technology - 3 hours, Lithium ion

Now what I will be trying to figure out is what to do with my toshiba, if there are any antique Laptop collectors out there, maybe I'll sell it to them! If not I'll sell it as E-waste in a Waste market Fair one of these days.

Sun Easy Post-Paid

2010-02-04T03:03:00.000-08:00

Looking for an easy post-paid line? Get Sun Easy Post-Paid now!

Samsung Corby S3653 from Sun Cellular!

2010-02-03T03:20:00.000-08:00

Samsung Corby S3653 from Sun Cellular is now available! It’s a cheap alternative touch screen phone for you to buy and use at an affordable price! It may be not a smart phone but not totally a normal phone as well. I would say that the Samsung Corby is like somewhere or something in between.

I saw one here in cebu and I think it was around 7k++ which is for my taste very affordable since I'm a cheapskate!

Google Phone: Nexus One from HTC

2010-02-01T00:47:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to only play with the Nexus One since it's partial support is of course "Outsourced" here and with that I got to handle and experience it's features first hand. The Nexus One phone is pretty fast — you can really feel that processing power kicking from inside. Android OS is quite intimidating at first but the more you explore and use it, it's pretty simple. And as far as specs are concerned, see below:

Cellular & Wireless

UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900)
HSDPA 7.2Mbps
HSUPA 2Mbps
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
A2DP stereo Bluetooth

Power and battery
Removable 1400 mAH battery
Charges at 480mA from USB, at 980mA from supplied charger

Talk time
Up to 10 hours on 2G
Up to 7 hours on 3G

Standby time
Up to 290 hours on 2G Up to 250 hours on 3G
Internet use
Up to 5 hours on 3G
Up to 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi

Video playback
Up to 7 hours

Audio playback
Up to 20 hours

Processor
Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz

Operating system
Android Mobile Technology Platform 2.1 (Eclair)

Capacity
512MB Flash
512MB RAM
4GB Micro SD Card (Expandable to 32 GB)

Location
Assisted global positioning system (AGPS) receiver
Cell tower and Wi-Fi positioning
Digital compass
Accelerometer

Size and weight:

Height
119mm
Width
59.8mm

Depth
11.5mm

Weight
130 grams w/battery
100g w/o battery

Display
3.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen WVGA AMOLED touchscreen
800 x 480 pixels
100,000:1 typical contrast ratio
1ms typical response rate

Camera & Flash
5 megapixels
Autofocus from 6cm to infinity
2X digital zoom
LED flash
User can include location of photos from phone’s AGPS receiver
Video captured at 720x480 pixels at 20 frames per second or higher, depending on lighting conditions

The good: The Nexus One has a gorgeous display, a lightning-fast processor, and a loaded feature set. The enhanced voice capabilities worked flawlessly, and the phone delivers solid performance.

The bad: Like other Android phones, the Nexus One forces you to store apps on the internal memory. The media player remains average, and it’s missing some wanted features like multi-touch support, dual-mode capability for GSM and CDMA networks.

In Conclusion: It doesn’t have all the features we’d like, but the Nexus One greatly enhances the Google Android family with a fast processor, good call quality, and improved voice control features.

For more info. visit HERE

The HTC Hero

2010-02-01T00:34:00.001-08:00

The HTC Hero has been out of the market for awhile but as far as Philippines is concerned it is still new since Technology turn over hear is moves like the turtle. I have handled this as well since its partial support is once again "Outsourced."

The Hero is HTC’s 3rd handset to run Google Android OS (after Dream and Magic). Here are its specifications:

Qualcomm MSM7200A 528 MHz
Android 1.5
512 ROM, 288 RAM
3.2 inch screen @ 320×480 pixels
3G/HSDPA 7.2Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.1
Internal GPS
5MP camera
3.5mm audio jack

The HTC Hero’s form factor is a little odd with the bottom part bent crooked inward. In a way, it make sense when you make a phone call since the mic is placed closer to your mouth. The handset’s build and construction is pretty solid with a combination of brushed metal finish and a smooth rubbery surface (feels like Teflon coating but earlier reports say only the white model has it). Not thin but not too thick (14.4mm) as well — fits snugly with one hand and not that heavy for its size.

The Hero has version 1.5 pre-installed and got more improvements from the previous version. This one has 7 desktop/panels you can easily switch with a flick of the screen or roll of the trackball — customize each panel to hold shortcuts, widgets and folders (mine has the Calendar, Weather, Home, Twitter and Contacts).

The phone is very responsive and can run multiple applications all at the same time. However, I sometimes notice the handset to slow down when a lot of apps are open or running so the Task Killer widget come in very handy when that happens. The Hero has a 528 MHz (Qualcomm MSM7200A ARM11) processor and 288MB RAM that performs quite well with multi-tasking.

The touch screen is very good and responsive as well; the oleophobic coating of the screen makes it immune to oily finger fingerprints. Video playback is smooth and clear with very wide viewable angle (around 130-150 degrees IMO). The speakers at the back are a bit small and not loud enough for open playback.

While the phone has multi-touch functionality, it is not available on all applications — works on web browsing but not on Google Maps. The 5-megapixel camera has a nice autofucos feature but does not take photos very well especially on low light or non-stationary subjects. There’s no dedicated camera button and relies on the trackball for that function.

Although the Android on it is already quite "old" dream on if you can get your hands on the latest Android 2.1 to have a test in the difference between 1.5 and 2.1, but then again dreaming is free since we are in the Philippines and it will take some time, lots of time to be up to date with the latest gadgetry to arrive here.

Apple's new iPad

2010-02-01T00:31:00.000-08:00

Apple's just-announced iPad looks like an iPhone on steroids, and it boasts a price tag that's a lot lower than people feared. But many of the enticing rumors about Apple's new tablet—such as chatter about a built-in camera, monthly TV subscriptions, and support for Verizon's 3G network—turned out to be dead wrong. Also: no iPhone for Verizon, at least not yet.

Apple's new tablet is still one sexy piece of gadgetry. But ... is it a category-changer, like the iPod and the iPhone before it? That'll be hard to judge right away though. To make the long story short, it has no new UI, no built in camera despite being tagged as a bigger iphone, no removable battery, and no flash support.

The iPad has a 9.7-inch touch screen, is a half-inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and comes with 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes of flash memory storage. It comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built in. Jobs said the device has a battery that lasts 10 hours and can sit for a month on standby without needing a charge.

Like iPods and the iPhone, the iPad can sync with Apple's Macintosh and Microsoft's Windows computers. Jobs said the iPad will also be better for playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone. Software coming with the iPad includes a calendar, maps, a video player and iPod software for playing music. All seem to have been slightly redesigned to take advantage of the iPad's bigger screen.
Applications designed for the iPhone can run on the iPad. Apple is also releasing updated tools for software developers to help them build iPhone and iPad programs.

Ninoy-Cory Cellphone

2010-02-01T00:24:00.002-08:00

I saw this on the news ('Ninoy-Cory' cellphone), as well as in SM City Cebu and I got interested in the 'Ninoy-Cory' cellphone. As I was researching, I came across the Solid Group, makers of the only Filipino mobile phone brand My Phone, has come up with the “NinoyCory phone,” the first series in the company’s My Heroes line of collector phones with the thrust of “keeping the memory of the two icons of democracy alive”.

The phone which debuts Myphone’s Myhero phone series comes in three variants all colored yellow, bearing an insignia of Ninoy’s signature pair of eyeglasses on the front and images of Ninoy and Cory at the back. This gadget was made in collaboration with the Ninoy Aquino Foundation, headed by Rafael Lopa.

Among its unique features include the following:

* Prayers like the Rosary, Station of the Cross and other novenas;
* Cory’s personal prayers
* Inspirational messages from Ninoy and Cory
* Aquino autobiography
* Ninoy’s poem and letters
* Speeches
* And some trivia

The children of the late Aquino couple were very happy to share their family’s treasured memories which could serve as an inspiration for the Filipinos most especially the youth, according to Pinky Aquino-Abellada.

One look at the phone and one will immediately realize that it is not just for Cory or Ninoy followers. Even the faithful will find the phone handy as it contains audio files of the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, various novenas (Lady of Manaoag, Perpetual Help, Sto. Nino, Black Nazarene, Lady of Antipolo, Lady Mediatrix, Lady of Guadalupe, St. Clare and St. Jude), common prayers (morning offering, Angelus, three o’clock prayer, evening prayer, Our Father, Hail Mary), intercession prayers, as well as ebooks of the entire Bible, to name a few.

The Solid Group just released the Pinoy phone which contains the rosary as well as 132 other prayers, and this gave Lim the idea of giving the Aquino family a memorabilia of Ninoy and Cory. The Solid Group top executive said a large number of the NinoyCory phone’s content came from the Foundation and that the company immediately put up a team to work on it.

The number of NinoyCory phones that will be made available to the market will depend on how the public accepts it. “It is very exciting. People, including those in our office, are grabbing the phones and want not just one, but two, even 20 at a time. After all, it is the first prayer phone ever made,” Lim added. The phone sells for P4,990 and is the first Qwerty phone to be released under the MyPhone brand.

He said because Solid Group believes in the projects of the Benigno Aquino Foundation, including education and feeding programs, the company will be donating a certain amount to the foundation, which did not charge anything when it shared some of the contents of the phone.

Paypal now available in Philippine Peso

2010-02-01T00:24:00.001-08:00

Paypal now available in Philippine Peso! As I opened my email, there was a message from PayPal, and was indicating an advertisement about Paypal now available in Philippine Peso. The ad stated that PayPal is now capable of receiving payments in Philippine Peso, our own local currency here in the Philippines.

I guess that’s a good news for internet marketers, work at home peeps, bloggers, and the like to start the 2010 with a bang. And it doesn’t stop there (OMG!). Here’s a complete list of other foreign currency that are currently accepted.

Use your current PayPal account to receive payments in: Canadian Dollars
Euros
British Pounds
U.S. Dollars
Yen
Australian Dollars
New Zealand Dollars
Swiss Francs
Hong Kong Dollars
Singapore Dollars
Swedish Kroner
Danish Kroner
Polish Zloty
Norwegian Kroner
Hungarian Forints
Czech Koruny
Israeli Shekels
Mexican Pesos
Brazilian Real (only for Brazilian users)
Malaysian Ringgits (only for Malaysian users)
Philippine Pesos
Taiwan New Dollars
Thai Baht

Get Paypal now which is available in Philippine Peso!

Policy

2010-01-31T05:17:00.001-08:00

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