3G

YikeBike

2009-11-01T07:00:00.000+08:00

Looks like the wheel is here to stay for a long while yet and levitation used mainly on rail-based vehicles. The YikeBike is another innovation that's set to turn heads. With a top speed of 20kph, this electric bike is a sustainable solution to mobility. Plus, it folds up (transform!) so you can carry it with you into the office! No more stolen bikes! Unless you forget where you placed it...

Uno: changing the face of motorcycles

2009-10-19T16:57:00.003+08:00

Is it a motorcycle? It may very well be a close cousin, but with an environment-friendly feature: electric motors. The out of this world design is an amazing feat from the 18-year old mind of Ben J. Poss Gulak. It is a 54.4 kg machine that only has an off-on switch for control. To move forward, just lean your body weight forward. To move back, just lean back. Now here's the cool part. When the Uno accelerates, the two wheels which are originally parallel to each other would move and adjust to take the form of a motorcyle. Transform!

Learn more about this wonder at the Uno website (photo credit also for this site).

Google Wave

2009-10-15T10:52:00.003+08:00

Google wave is Google's next wave (eh?) of online collaboration and communication service. It is touted to be open source, and thus opening up a lot of possibilities for enhancements and features. In a nutshell (at least, from what I can gather from the 1+ hour youtube video presentation I have partly watched) , Google Wave is a mixture of chat and email with a whole lot of media capability built in. A "wave" is basically a conversation thread in which people included in the group can add comments and rich content anywhere in the timeline. And even if you have just joined the wave long after it was created, you can "turn back time" and see how the wave progressed and insert your own content into, well, anywhere you please onto the wave. Groovy, eh?

Google Wave is still in its early development and some lucky folks were able to get invitations to test (just like Google Mail in its early stage). If you scour the net for news about Google Wave, you would get mixed reactions but it's still too early at the onset to see what it will evolve into. But still, you gotta love the way Google innovates.

Myvu personal media viewer for the iPhone and video-capable iPods

2009-10-09T07:12:00.005+08:00

A personal video screen and stereo playback for your iPhone! Now that is something I would love to have! Myvu (photo credit also to this site) offers three different personal media viewers which you can use not only for the iPod but for other devices as well, such as the Zune, DVD players, and even video game consoles. All you need to do is plug in the necessary connector and you're done!

The Solo Plus EV Bundle costs US$124.85. That's a whole lot cheaper than a similar product I saw at a mall in Makati last year (with basic AV connectors). It's available in select countries, so if you want one too, lucky you if it's available in your part of the world!

Efren Peñaflorida is my hero

2009-10-05T14:07:00.000+08:00

Voting continues until Thursday, November 19, 2009 (6 a.m. ET). There is no limit on the number of times you may vote for the Hero of the Year.

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-10-01T08:04:00.002+08:00

Microsoft has recently released a product to combat against viruses, spyware, trojans, and spyware. Dubbed Microsoft Security Essentials, it is a free software that can be used for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

And who's not to like free software? While there have been other companies offering virus protection for free, the fact that Microsoft's name is behind this endeavour makes it all the more significant, especially the effect this can have for online security providers such as Norton and Microsoft.

While the main program itself is small (about 5MB), the accompanying antivirus and spyware definitions is easily 6 times greater than that.

Download your copy at Microsoft Connect (http://connect.microsoft.com/). You will need a Windows Live account.

Please help victims of typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines

2009-09-28T08:17:00.001+08:00

(from Facebook sources)

Typhoon Ondoy has caused great devastation in the Philippines. If you can, please help through the following:

RELIEF/SHELTER/DONATIONS:
Red Cross donation through SMS: text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart) or contact your local Red Cross Chapters on how to Donate.

FRIENDS IN THE US AND CANADA WHO WISH TO HELP IN THE RESCUE/RELIEF OPERATIONS,YOU MAY DONATE THROUGH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. CALL 1-800-435-7669. DONATE THRU THE RED CROSS RESCUE AND RELIEF OPERATIONS OR pinoys abroad they can DONATE THROUGH TXTPOWER'S PAYPAL!

You may also deposit your donations directly to ABS-CBN Foundation's Banco de Oro account: *Branch Name: BDO Mother Ignacia Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. Account #: 5630060113 Relief Goods can be sent to Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no. 5639298/5639308).

Relief goods can also be brought Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40). Aquino volunteers: contact Jiggy Cruz who is organizing relief goods collection and distribution. Or call Ms. Clare Amador at mobile no 09285205508 or Jana Vicente at 09285205499 for more details regarding Noy/Mar relief efforts. Roxas volunteers: donations for flood relief can be brought to Balay, Expo Centro, Edsa cor. Gen, MacArthur, Araneta Center, Cubao.

Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT Charo Limaco has posted a list of specific items needed and where to donate them: Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes etc.. are being accepted at the Hillsborough Village chapel for families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios. – Donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy accepted at ARANAZ stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt. –

TeamManila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk, Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas to displaced countrymen due to Typhoon Ondoy. –

Caritas Manila Office and Radio Veritas (see above) appealing for the following goods: Canned food, rice, used clothes especially for children, milk.

Here is a comprehensive list of coordinated efforts for consolidating and distributing assistance to the needy on Sour Politics.

Irfanview graphic viewer and editor

2009-09-16T16:35:00.002+08:00

I have been looking around for software I can use to resize images for use in my blogs because I am currently finding Photoshop too "heavyweight" for this simple need. I needed something that will enable me to quickly load the software and use it, and do batch conversions as well. I have not tried the batch conversion yet, but I have downloaded Irfanview and it packs a punch. Very easy to use, and lots of powerful features awaiting to be discovered! It's freeware to boot!

Free File Converter

2009-09-14T05:50:00.005+08:00

Somebody once approached me asking for help about a document he emailed to himself from home. Unfortunately, he was using OpenOffice at home and we didn't have that in the office. He was about to simply change the file extension to .doc (which would not work of course) when I stopped him and said I'd like to have a look. A few Google search results later, I came across Free File Converter. It's a no-frills file conversion online service that's so simple to use. Simply upload the file in question, choose the format you want it converted to, then let it work its magic for a few minutes. And voila, save the converted file to your hard disk.

Very handy. No registration required, and the service is free. Wouldn't hurt to donate of course.

Ecofont

2009-09-11T07:00:00.000+08:00

All too often, offices eat up waaay too much paper and ink, and many of these inevitably end up in the recycling tray, the other side waiting to be printed on. Any other means of saving on resources is always welcome.

Well, here's a very simple way of saving up on ink. Ecofont! Ecofont is based on the sans serif Verdana (incidentally, Verdana is one of my favorite fonts for the web and for print). Using Ecofont will enable you to save up to 20% on ink! And how is it possible? Easy. The letters are dotted with holes. For a font size 9 or 10 (the most popular size for regular correspondences), Ecofont looks just like a regular font (with the holes not apparent), so no worries about displays. And by simply installing this free font and using it for print will help you save effortlessly!

Aside from the free version, there is also a professional offering which enables companies to use the ecofont technology in their own corporate typeface. However, this service is currently available only in the Netherlands.

Why not give Ecofont a whirl? Free download at the site.

Filezilla

2009-09-04T12:17:00.002+08:00

There was a time when CuteFTP was the name that immediately came to mind when we needed an FTP client utility. Somehow, for my current project, I decided to go for other available software out there and I googled my way into Filezilla, an open-source software. Using it is a cinch: just input the host name, your username, and your password. And having satisfied all three, you go direct to the FTP site and a view of your local files. Pretty straightforward as far as FTP clients go. But it's free, and it's open source!

Filezilla also has a server version! Check it out if ever you are in need of FTP power.

Email Me Form

2009-08-17T11:58:00.003+08:00

One of the obstactles I have faced when making websites is when I need to put an online form on it. Most of the time, the hosting service will not allow CGI and parsing of data in their servers. Sending the result via email would also be possible, but often, browsers would pop up an alert saying that information is being sent through non-secure means, and would they wish to continue? Not very encouraging, is it?

Well, I did a bit of Googling awhile ago and came across Email Me Form. They provide the basic service of having an online form on your site, with the result sent to you by email without the pop-up warning. This basic service is free of charge! I have signed up and created a simply inquiry form in a matter of minutes. I have also tested it and is working fine. Really handy.

Former President Corazon Aquino's funeral in Flash Panorama

2009-08-10T12:39:00.005+08:00

This is my first time to see this Flash Panorama Player at work. Amazing. Here is a photo of our beloved former President Corazon Aquino's funeral march. It felt like, in a way, I was also there... really amazing.

Google Sketchup

2009-08-03T11:38:00.002+08:00

Sketchup is a 3D modelling tool by Google that you can use to create 3D models of just about anything. It's designed to be easy to use. Easier when compared with commercial 3D modelling software, that is. Google Sketchup has a free version that you can download. This version is quite powerful by itself, but if you want more out of the basic package, you can always go to the Sketchup Pro route, though the basic software usually possesses already what you might need, and more.

So if you need a 3D modeling software, why not give Google Sketchup a whirl?

Google Moon?

2009-07-27T11:27:00.003+08:00

I think this feature was launched at the same day we celebrated the moon landings, which was last week. According to the introductory page, with Moon on Google Earth you can:
* Take tours of landing sites, narrated by Apollo astronauts
* View 3D models of landed spacecraft
* Zoom into 360-degree photos to see astronauts' footprints
* Watch rare TV footage of the Apollo missions

It must have been an awe-inspiring time to see man walking on the moon. It ushered in a new frontier that captured our imagination as to what man can do and achieve. Like many kids my generation who were born at the time when space became a place of adventure (coupled with Star Wars movies!), I also dreamed of becoming an astronaut and fly an X-Wing someday!

The moon walk is still considered one of man's greatest achievements, and well into this century, we have yet to see this feat duplicated. The ISS is making sure though that we still have our sights set on space, but this time around it's no longer for domination and a space race of sorts, but now its for the benefit of humankind.

You need to download the Google Earth application to use this feature. I have not done it so myself but head on to Google Earth and start your own lunar adventure!

"Nike" Hindsight

2009-07-22T08:57:00.003+08:00

This is an interesting piece of work that was able to get some internet mileage: a pair of glasses that increases your peripheral vision by 25% on either side. Meant for cycling enthusiasts, the rider will be able to see beyond the normal field of vision (the extreme left and right), which can potentially be a lifesaver especially on busy streets.

It uses Fresnel lenses normally used in lighthouses to afford the wearer that extra range of vision using refraction.

The glasses were designed by Billy May. I tried searching for this product in the Nike site, and when I didn't find it referenced there, I soon learned that this is a concept, and the "Nike" part is a "wishful thinking" sort of product placement.

Still a cool idea though. This concept has potential.

Geocities is closing

2009-07-13T07:00:00.001+08:00

I have just received an email from Yahoo! Geocities for the formal announcement: Geocities is closing. Here is the email content:

Important notice: GeoCities is closing.

Dear Yahoo! GeoCities customer,

We're writing to let you know that Yahoo! GeoCities, our free web site building service and community, is closing on October 26, 2009.

On October 26, 2009, your GeoCities site will no longer appear on the Web, and you will no longer be able to access your GeoCities account and files.

What You Need to Do
If you'd like to move your web site, or save the images and other files you've posted online, you need to act now by choosing one of the following options:

• Move your site to Yahoo! Web Hosting.
We know your files are important to you, and we want to make moving to Web Hosting as easy and affordable as we can. For a limited time, you can move your files automatically, take advantage of terrific features like a personalized domain name and email, even redirect your GeoCities web address to your new site — all for only $4.99 a month for a full year.

For more information and complete terms, please see our special offer now.

• Download your files to your own computer.
With your pages and images saved offline, you can re-create your site with any hosting provider.

To quickly download your published files, visit your GeoCities web site, right-click on each page, and choose Save Page As... from the menu that appears. Choose a location on your computer to save your files, then click OK or Save. Learn more about downloading your files.

Don't Wait
Please be aware that after October 26, your GeoCities files will be deleted from our servers, and will not be recoverable. If you'd like to save your files, you must download them now or move to Yahoo! Web Hosting. If you need assistance, please visit the help center.

We want to thank you for being a GeoCities customer, and hope you continue to enjoy our other Yahoo! services.

Best regards,

The Yahoo! GeoCities team

Projector Phone

2009-07-08T11:13:00.002+08:00

Some time ago, I mentioned in this blog a projector so small it can fit right in your shirt pocket. Well, only months later, this new projector technology has entered another major development phase, and can now be a mobile phone feature!

The Samsung Samsung W7900, aka The Show, is a fully-functional mobile phone with a built-in projector using the Texas Instruments DLP technology. From its analog days of simply enabling you to make calls, the mobile phone has evolved rapidly into providing digital content. With more phones supporting video and images, the projector capability is a logical step, enabling people to share the viewing of media in a more convenient and involved way.

Learn more about this fantastic device at Popular Science (also photo credit to this site).

GIMP

2009-07-01T09:03:00.003+08:00

The first time I heard of GIMP was in the year 2000 when I was in a web development company and one of our casual conversations shifted to alternatives to Photoshop which is a powerful but rather expensive tool. It is good to know that GIMP is still going strong!

GIMP stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It was developed under X11 on a UNIX platform, but it is also able to run on Windows and Macs. I have not personally used it myself, since it has always become a rather fortunate circumstance that I always have Photoshop made available in my line of work, but GIMP is surely something I will like to tinker on when the opportunity (or the need, whichever comes first) arises.

It has tools for painting, image manipulation, even animation! It also supports a wide range of file formats including - surprise! - PSD. This is certainly something to consider when you need a graphics program but on a tight (or no) budget.

Rasterbator

2009-06-23T16:30:00.000+08:00

I stumbled upon this internet service a couple of years ago, and we did a birthday poster for my boss. When my son's birthday turned up and my wife asked me to make a poster for him, I thought immediately about this free service.

What it does is, your photo becomes a series of dots (the size of which you can also dictate). So you simply upload you photo, follow the instructions, and then you get to choose the paper size and the size of the poster depending on how many papers the poster will span. You will then be given a PDF file of the pages which you can then print and connect together. Really simple and awesome!

Rasterbator

How to create your favicon using Photoshop

2009-06-17T07:00:00.003+08:00

Ever noticed that some sites would display a nifty icon beside its name on the browser's url field? These 16x16 pixel images are called favicons. You can make one for yourself, but you need to have administrator access on your site because you have to upload the icon file onto the root of your site (where the index.html is located, for example).

One easy way to create your favicon is through the use of Photoshop. IF you already have this application, that is. It does not natively support the .ico file format but you can get a free plugin that will enable this. Download this from PhotoshopSupport.com. The instructions are very straightforward. Soon your site will sport its very own favicon!

Now, I wonder if I can do this on my Blogger blogs...

Geocities is closing down

2009-06-13T07:00:00.001+08:00

Yahoo! has announced that they will be closing down Geocities later this year. I have fond memories of the free hosting service. When it opened its doors in the mid-90s, it became my testbed for starting out my html skills. Who knew that years later it will come in handy as an important skill?

It is sad to see Geocities go but I guess its time has finally come. The advent of more interactive sites such as online communities and blogging has eclipsed free hosting services.

So what will I do with our Voltes V website? Transfer it someplace else. And Webrings has just given me a nice alternative. I received an email from them with the following information:

Last month we wrote to all active members with a registered Geocities URL because Yahoo! is planning on closing Geocities down soon.

Now we are expanding this appeal to ALL users in an effort to reach as many people as possible, whether they have a Geocities website or not. Even whether they are WebRing members or not.

Thanks to our recently launched Webspace, you can have your website hosted on WebRing. WebRing webspaces are completely free for all WebRing members! You can read about how to move your site to your Webspace at http://www.webring.com/h/geomove.

To date we've replicated over 2000 sites, mainly from Geocities, but also sites from Angelfire, Tripod, Fortunecity and several others. If you're one of the 2000+, THANK YOU, and now go tell someone how easy it has been!

Here is our challenge to you: Help us spread the word to ANYONE you have contact with and tell them about our offer. This is not limited to Geocities members. We encourage anyone with a "free" site - especially Angelfire and Tripod because of their instrusive ads - to consider WebRing's new Webspace. It's FREE, and it's ad free for anyone who creates a webspace or asks us to help replicate from another service.

Email your friends, post in blogs, add a link to your website, go door to door (just kidding).

Why switch? For starters, Geocities and Lycos are closing down. More importantly than that, WebRing has numerous advantages over other services:

* We've been around for 15 years.
* We're not placing ads on your pages.
* WebRing has a member directory, so your site can gain visibility there. We have plans to expand our directory as well.
* Most important - you gain exposure through the tens of thousands of WebRing communities that have been driving traffic to sites since before most of these services existed.

Our Offer: Would you like our help in replicating your site(s) to your WebRing Webspace? Simply reply to this email and say "Yes, please transfer my site." We'll attempt to automatically replicate your site. In most cases this works well.

You can read about the transfer process here:
http://www.webring.com/h/geomove
and here:
http://www.webring.com/h/nl_0906

If you want to transfer your site files on your own, you can access your personal storage (when logged in) at: (url for my eyes only)

Who should not transfer? If you have your website hosted on your own domain then we recommend you keep it there. If you run cgi-scripts, or have your site hosted on a non-free service that you're happy with then stick with them.

Sincerely,
WebRing Member Services
membership@webring.com

Still skeptical?

If you think it's going to take too much work to move over your site, we invite you to read a WebRing member's personal account:

http://pg.webring.com/cgi-bin/members/blog.cgi?userid=9970254786008&targetdate=2009_4_22&monthyear=Apr_2009 - "How WebRing Saved My Butt and My Website"

iPhone 3G S

2009-06-10T09:14:00.003+08:00

Suddenly, my iPhone just got a whole lot older.

Apple has released the latest version, the iPhone 3G S. Touted as being at least twice as fast, with 32G memory, 3MP camera, now with video (including video editing on the phone itself!), voice control, and a new 3.0 OS.

I skimmed through the videos available on the Apple website and the Apps advertised are simply amazing. It now supports MMS and has cut-copy-paste ability.

Other features which are great improvements are the landscape keyboard, spotlight search (something I used regularly on the Mac), and voice memos. It truly is a phone that I would love to have.

The iPhone 3G S will be available in the US on June 19 for $199 (SRP) for the 16GB model and just $299 (SRP) for the 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores.

Microsoft's Decision Engine

2009-06-06T08:00:00.001+08:00

Microsoft unveiled a new service last May 28. I heard about it from a friend last weekend, and he said he was going to give it a whirl when it's launched. He was all excited about it, and so I decided to take a look myself.

Microsoft has launched Bing.com, a Decision Engine. They call it a Decision Engine because it is designed to help you... um... decide. Touted as more than just a search engine, this service is designed to focus initially on four vertical areas: making a purchase decision, planning a trip, researching a health condition, and finding a local business. In essence it will more than just provide you search engine results, but it will also intuitively go beyond giving internet facts by, for example, displaying the best rates possible for a hotel booking, or help you decide when and where you can get the cheapest plane fare.

Bing.com's interface is simple enough; it reminded me of Ask.com, actually. And there was no apparent link to what it was all about, and so I had to Google about it. Hmm... the Bing Travel sounds intriguing, though. Will check that out.

Sound of Music | Central Antwerp (Belgium)

2009-06-01T07:54:00.004+08:00

I can't get enough of this video, and I would like to share it with you. A feel-good video to make your day!

A description of the video reads:

More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music".