October 2005 Archives

Tell me, is it just me, or am I correct in concluding that it is mostly the women who are buying flip-phones? Prior to their new slew of slider phones, Samsung had a vast line of flip-phones. And, I swear, practically everyone I've met who was using a Samsung flip was a female. Ditto for flips from Panasonic and from LG. And even with Nokia's new flips, it is the women who are going for them. Heck, I can count the total number of men that I have seen using flips with just one hand. So what's is about flips that flips the men out? I mean, this entire female-flip thing appears even stranger when you consider that flip-phones were originally designed to appeal to the male Trekkie crowd. The first flip-phone was the analog StarTAC, which Motorola admitted as having been inspired by Captain Kirk's trusty Communicator. Now that was a manly phone! And the women loved it too. But today, men have apparently forsaken the new crop of flips. So what is it? Is it the lack of manly designs? Or is it simply the in-your-face practicality of candybar phones? I'll be taking up the issue of gender and gadgets in my column in the upcoming issue of m|ph. Any guys out there using flips?

Zoiks! Can my eyes believe this?! The T5 and TX now have the same SRP of P18,900.00. The main difference is that the T5 has less memory while the TX has WiFi. If you're after pure aesthetics, the TX has a more corporate feel with its bluish-black casing as compared to the T5's plain brownie (mmm.. silvery) color. Err, sounds to me like there's some disparity here. I mean between extra memory (128MB more to be exact) and being able to surf the Net anywhere in Makati, I would opt for the latter. With WLAN built in, this leaves the SDIO card slot free for that, right? The new TX and Z22 handhelds were unveiled in a special Coffee, T, or Z event held at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at Greenbelt 3. You can read about the event from the MaPalad website. The event also cleared up Palm's product lineup once and for all. There are three lines for Palm's products - the handhelds line that is basically a merging of the T and Z units, the Smartphone line which is dedicated to the Treo, and the Mobile Manager line, which currently has the 4GB Lifedrive as its only product. * special thanks to Eric for the graphics

I've previously noted the existence of a Globe rewards program (a.k.a. "Globe for Good"... that sounds kind'a ominous) that plan subscribers can avail of, trading their accumulated virtual cash for phones or other freebies. Here are the prices of the phones that Globe is offering under this program:

UNIT			PRICE

Nokia 9500 		P45,000
Nokia 9300		P39,000
Nokia 6680 		P33,500
Nokia 6630		P23,000
Nokia 3230 		P22,500
Nokia 6230i		P20,000
Nokia 6610i		P6,300
Nokia 2600		P6,000
Sony Ericsson Z800i	P35,000
Sony Ericsson P910i	P32,000
Sony Ericsson W800i	P27,300
Sony Ericsson K750i	P23,500
Sony Ericsson K300i	P8,700
Treo 650			P40,000
XDA IIi			P45,000
XDA mini			P36,500
Motorola Razr V3		P21,000
Motorola C651		P6,300

Prices are subject to change without notice (as always). So yes, the noted prices may be steep compared to street prices, but hey, if you can avail of them without much cash outlay, why not? For most loyal plan subscribers, this would mean one or two low-end phones -- the Nokia 6610i, the Nokia 2600, the Sony Ericsson K300i, or the Motorola C651. Or they could pitch in some hard cash as well to move up.

This post may not have much relevance for any of us here in the Philippines, but the news bodes well that it could happen here someday. (Long shot, but you never know.) If you own a Nintendo DS, live in the US and happen to love McDo, you're in luck. McDonald's just entered into a deal with wifi carrier Wayport where 6000 branches of Mickey Ds in the US will carry Nintendo's new wifi gaming service Nintendo Wireless Connection and allow Big Mac snarfers to play for free! (It's safe to assume that a purchase is required, but nothing's really free in this world, right?) All you need is to walk into McDonald's with a Nintendo DS and a copy of a wifi game like Mario Kart DS, and you can connect immediately (with no setting-up required). Just startup the game in Nintendo Wireless Connection mode and there you go! Wayport's service officially begins nationwide in the US in mid-November. It's unclear if McDo will provide wipes to get the catsup off your touchscreens.

As part of the hell-freezes-over initiative taking place in the tech world, owners of Treo 650s can look forward to using Blackberry push email on their units beginning sometime early 2006. Palm and Research in Motion (RIM) have made a licensing agreement to allow Treos to use Blackberry Connect, a email and communication technology and service immensely popular on Blackberry units used by many mail-intensive and communication-critical businesses. The option will be available beginning 1st Quarter 06 with new Treos. One of the pluses for many users of the technology will be the more fully-featured QWERTY keyboard of the Treos. The agreement will hold valid for future Palm-powered Treo phones with wireless email, but may not be available for the forthcoming Windows Mobile-powered new Treo 700w, as Windows Mobile has its own push email with Microsoft. Nonetheless, the Palm-RIM Blackberry option will be compatible with Microsoft's Exchange server and with IBM's Lotus Domino server. The service will be most likely available in the US first, and internationally soon after. We wonder what's next.

Poor Globe Plan subscribers. While the millions of prepaid card users get all the goodies, such as the recent Text Nonstop promo that gave them unlimited texts for 24 hours for just 15 pesos, us Plan-holders basically have to sit and sulk in the sidelines, our loyalty unrewarded. Well, not exactly. Globe Handyphone has had a Cool Rewards program that was soft-launched last June 2005. And since September, the program has gathered more steam. Here's how it works: loyal Plan-holders can text CLAIM to 2279. They will then receive a text message detailing how much of a reward they have, in peso value. For heavy users, it can be big. In my case, with an average monthly bill of just PhP 900.00, I've been granted PhP 11,000.00 in rewards. You can then use this reward to (a) load a G-Cash card with the stated amount, (b) cover future bills, or (c) apply the amount towards the acquisition of mobile phones. If you choose the latter, I suggest you call up Globe at 730-1000 to have them email you a shopping list of available phones and their prices. (Note to you savvy shoppers, though: Since you'll be shopping from Globe, these won't be street prices.) Caveat. If you choose to avail of your reward, you will have to accept being locked up with Globe for another year or two. Claiming rewards of PhP 10,000 and below will lock you up for another year, while rewards above PhP 10,000 will mean a two-year lockup. That means two years for me. But then, I've had my mobile number since 1997 so I think I'll stick with it for a couple more years.

Again, I'll reserve my comments *after* the stalwarts of m|ph says their piece on this exciting (and mouth-watering) news.

Last week, I chanced upon the Synergy site. According to its website:

Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It's intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s).

At first it sounded too good to be true but the geek in me couldn't resist downloading and trying it out. A couple of minutes downloading and viola! IT WORKED! This program is a godsend for me since I am a two-computer person at the office. Beside my IBM NetVista office workstation sits my wirelessly connected iBook (via my own AirPort Express). After a short installation at my IBM workstation and a few Terminal keystrokes on my iBook I am now able to use the IBM workstation's keyboard and mouse to enter this blog entry! I haven't tested this in Linux yet but based on how Mac and Windows interact with my setup, I'm sure it will work as well. Oh, did I mention that this superb application is totally free (as in free beer)?

Once again, here's a ranking of the world's best-selling mobile phones and PDAs, according to Krussell International AB of Sweden. This time it's for the month of September 2005. Top 10 Mobile Phones 1. Sony Ericsson K750i/K750c/W800 2. Motorola Razr V3 3. Nokia 6230/6230i 4. Nokia 6680/6681/6682 5. PalmOne Treo 600/650 6. Qtek S100/I-mate JAM (XDA II Mini) 7. Sony Ericsson V600i/K600i/K608i 8. Nokia 5140 9. Nokia 6020/6021 10. Sony Ericsson K700i Top 10 PDAs/smart phones 1. PalmOne Treo 600/650 2. Qtek S110/I-mate JAM (XDA II Mini) 3. Hp Ipaq hx2100/2400/2700 4. HP iPAQ HW6500 5. Hp IPAQ hx4700 6. Mio Mitac 168/Yakumo 300 GPS/Navman PiN 7. Qtek 9090/02 XDA III 8. PalmOne Tungsten T5 9. Palm Zire 72 10. Samsung SCH-i730/SPH 4300 Sony Ericsson and Nokia take up the bulk of the phone market, with the SE 750i and W800 taking top honors. However, Motorola's Razr V3 finishes at a strong second. Among the PDA/phones, which straddle both lists, the Treo 600/650 wins by a large margin. This is followed by the unit locally known as the O2 XDA II Mini. HP's iPAQ line then takes up the third to fifth places in the PDA market. Once again, it pays to know the methodology behind this list. Krussell bases its findings on the number of Krussell-brand leather cases that are sold per device model across the globe. Thus, if Krussell doesn't make a case for your phone, then your phone won't get counted on this list. Also, the target market is primarily made up of higher-end buyers who would spend for leather cases for their pet gadgets. Lower-end phones, which do not normally receive such pampering, won't appear on this list at all.

What better way to launch this subfeature, UNPACKED, than with the Archos AV700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder: If you find geeky thrill in uncovering what techie joys can be found inside a new device's packaging, then this is the product to beat. Chockful of little doodads, the AV700 is a widget-lover's dream come true. The Archos AV700 is a handsome personal digital video recorder that sports the largest screen in the business -- 7 inches of mobile viewing pleasure -- as well as a 40GB hard drive. And it's the first thing that greets your eyes upon opening the padded lid, with the AV700 resting on a plastic tray. Take out the plastic tray and the next thing you will find is the AV700's protective carrying case, a firm and fitting pouch that's made of padded nylon. That's not all. Open the case and, inside, you will find the AV700's User Guide as well as your first two widgets: SCART connectors for European video equipment, one for A/V In and the other for A/V Out. I found it pleasantly surprising that the three items fit perfectly inside the carrying case, as if even their dimensions had been well thought out for packaging purposes. That's just the appetizer. The protective case is nestled in a second plastic tray. Lift this tray and you will find two boxes. The big box is like an ancient horn of plenty. Inside, you will find (clockwise from lower-left): the requisite stack of Quick Guides and promos for optional accessories; a long, snaking infrared emitter (for timer-recording of TV shows via your VCR); 3.5mm AV connector; USB 2.0 PC-connector; stereo headphones (!); another 3.5mm AV connector; full-featured remote control; two GP AA alkaline batteries for the remote; and the saucer-like TV Docking Pod. I did say that there were two boxes. The smaller box contains your power peripherals: the AC-to-DC adapter, which plugs to either the AV700 or to its Pod; two socket adapters; and, get this, a USB Host Adapter cable! Yes, the AV700 can play host to your digital cameras and other USB devices. No need for a PC. And there you have it, the Archos AV700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder. Unpacked. It's a fascinating and feature-laden video recording device that I have begun to fall in love with. You can read all about the AV700, including its various pros and cons, in the next issue of m|ph magazine.

One of the flagship Open Source projects that is actually useful in the real world is GIMP -- Gnu Image Manipulation Program. This is a heavyweight photo editing program that rivals the functionality of the expensive Adobe Photoshop. However, mass adoption of GIMP is somewhat hindered by its rather complicated menu system. Most people who will find GIMP useful is somehow turned off by the fact that its user interface is so far off Photoshop that potential users revert back to using their "greenhills copy" of Adobe's premiere software. Here's where GIMPShop comes in. GIMPShop still runs the original GIMP code but its user interface has been tweaked to somewhat mimic the way Photoshop works. Its developer hopes to make GIMP more useful to people who cannot afford the high price of Adobe Photoshop. GIMPShop is available for Windows, Linux, Solaris and OS X. Here's what GIMPShop developer has to say about his outstanding work:

My original purpose for GIMPshop was to make the Gimp accessible to the many Adobe Photoshop users out there. I hope I’ve done that. And maybe along the way, I can convert a Photoshop pirate into a Gimp user.

Makes sense, huh?

If you can't wait for Apple to release a portable device, then try borrowing your friend's Sony PSP and install Mac OS 7.5. Just be sure to borrow it for more than a day. It's hell to install. Why would anyone want to do that? Well, as Steve Jobs would say, "because we can!"

Patience is a required virtue, as the booting process can take upwards of four hours. Yes, that’s correct, four hours. But the fact that it’s been accomplished at all would make me curious enough to try it. Apparently DOS takes a few minutes to load, followed by vMac status messages that drag on for ages. The screen will blank for probably an hour (ack! seems a little disconcerting), and then you’ll get the usual Mac background.

Thanks to the Play Girlz

Hi, everyone. My name is Adel Gabot, and I'm the incoming Editor-in-Chief for m|PH Magazine. I've been writing for it for some time now, but you'll see me more often, as I formally take over from Jason de Villa beginning with the coming issue. Big shoes to fill, and I hope my feet are big enough. The pic you see here is generally what I look like. In the pic I'm making like a CNN reporter doing a live feed from the tarmac at the Puerto Princesa airport, but actually I'm just calling home to tell them I forgot to buy dog food for the house before I left, and that they'll have to make do. After all this time, this is my very first post here. I guess we can use the cliche pretty accurately in my case for this blog: long time lurker, first time poster. I've had the privilege and ability for months, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn't really sure how to use WordPress and was too chicken to try, and afraid of making mistakes. Well, Jayvee Fernandez took time out to make me a tutorial of sorts, and now I really have no excuse. Let me introduce myself a little more fully. I used to be editor of another magazine before this, a men's lifestyle mag called Manual. I studied Journalism at the University of The Philippines, but I got sidetracked after school and became an FM radio disk jockey. (Any of you remember this DJ named "Little David"? That was me.) It was supposed to be something to tide me over until I found a real job, but I had so much fun I stayed there for almost 20 years (yeah, I'm old, so what?), until I wised up and went back to my first love, writing. I've always been a geek ever since I can remember, and began my dubious career as one when I was 7 years old and I grabbed a screwdriver to take apart my Mom's portable radio. After successfully dismantling it, I proudly went to my Dad and said "Dad! Look what I did! Now you put it back together before Mom catches me." Later in life I would do the same thing, sorta. I finally learned how to put things back together, and developed a good appreciation for how things work. I love gadgets, and I have a full arsenal of what geeks usually love to own. So you can pigeonhole me better, I'm a Mac user, I use the iPod as much as I breathe, I have a PalmOne LifeDrive, use a Canon 300D, own a GameCube, and my phone of choice is a Sony-Ericsson. I also own two massive Golden Retrievers named Rico and Bobby. I was the Chairman of the Philippine Macintosh Users Group for a couple of years (04-05), and I am still an administrator for the online forum of PhilMUG, as well as for PodCentral. Aside from being editor of m|PH, I'm Executive Editor for Hinge Inquirer Publications, which owns m|PH, as well as several other magazines. I am also a writer in the most basic sense of the word, and I'm working on a short story collection when I have free time (which is getting rarer and rarer these days). If you'd like to know more about me, I have a personal blog. The stuff there is not as techie as this esteemed site usually is but it might let you get to know me a bit better. Just click here if you have a moment or two to spare every now and then. I'll be posting here more often, like Art, Jayvee and our guest bloggers, but in the meantime, let me say I'm glad to be part of, finally, Da Wireless Kubo and I hope I can contribute as much as the rest of the gang. Thanks for having me. (Hey, Jayvs, this WordPress thing isn't so bad after all.)