The Android open mobile platform initiated by Google is one very exciting mobile operating system that I have been following. Mainly because it’s open source and the operating system core is based on Linux. I’ve recently gone to different mobile phone shops in the Philippines to check out whether Android based mobile phones are starting to appear at the shops. After my trips, I’m a bit happy and sad from what I have found. Here’s why.
This is my first week since I’ve decided to set myself up to be as mobile as possible when it comes to getting connected on the Internet. Since I like microblogging via Twitter, I’ve bought a copy of the Gravity Twitter mobile app. This week I’ve decided to find a way to use my Nokia 5800 mobile phone as a mobile 3G router. I found this mobile app called JoikuSpot. It’s basically an app that turns a wifi-equipped Symbian phone into a 3G hotspot.
It’s been some verrrry busy months for me and I’ll post more about it later, I’m really sad that the Philippines suffered the loss of a great person. I remember Former Pres. Cory Aquino for her independent-mindedness.
While the Filipino nation is mourning for her death, I would just like to share some little trivia about her death. Continue reading …
The afternoons are now hotter these past few days. But I feel that it’s still a little bit early for summer. During the past several years I’ve these feeling that the seasons have been a little bit off. I know that environmentalists have been talking about global warming and all. Do you think this is why this is happening?
This weekend while eating some ice cream, I was curious why for the past several years the ice cream on my cup seems to melt faster than it usually does. Does it have something to do with the “increased global temperature” or has the ice cream company made changes to it’s ice cream recipe that makes it melt faster? Hmmm. I wonder.
Anyway, now that summer is here, my wifey wants insists to go to Baguio this year. I don’t mind where she wants to spend some time this summer ‘coz I haven’t purchased a new digital camera yet. I’m hoping that once I have a new digital camera, I wan’t to go to a place we haven’t gone to yet.
Welcome to summer of 2009!
During the week, I’ve decided to dive into learning about digital cameras. You can just be overwhelmed at what’s on the Internet! It’s so full of very useful and interesting sites that touches the topic of photography. Seeing that I would have to put some laid out plan on how I need to go about my process of learning more about photography, I’ve decided to take a lighter activity this week by checking out blog sites featuring photos of the Philippines.
This particular photo blog caught my attention. The site named “My Sarisari Store” features photos of the Philippines. When I visited it, I was amazed at the beautiful shots of underwater fauna made by the photographer. Another thing that’s amazing is that the photo shots are featured on the photo blog of Belgian Sidney Snoeck who decided to move to the Philippines in 2002.
Here’s a sample photo of his guest photographer Stephan Jaeggi who created the underwater photo shots. Visit Sidney’s photo blog to take a look at more stunning photos.
This week while surfing for an interesting site, I came across a blog that features topics about Anime. The Filipino blogger who goes by the name of Jay has been maintaining the site since 2000 and has recently converted the web site to WordPress. Looks like Jay is also an avid gamer and has now tempered some of his gaming interests in favor of maintaining the PhilAmime WordPress blog.
Jay seems to also love transformer toys like this one on his post. 
You can visit the Filipino wordpress blog about Anime at PhilAnime.com
The first eclipse to happen this year. There will be a solar eclipse today. We will be experiencing the eclipse in the late afternoon at around 4pm. Based on the animation below, we might not be able to fully notice the eclipse because the shadow of the moon will be minimally over the Philippines during that time. [Animation via Eclipses Online ]
Intel is a pioneer investor to the semiconductor technology industry in the Philippines. It has been in the Philippines for more than a decade and has been providing jobs for the country’s Electronics engineering graduates for quite a while.
I was really surprised about Intel’s decision to close down it’s plant in Cavite. In Intel’s announcement, It said that it will be closing down a couple of test facilities in Malaysia in addition to the facility in Cavite in order to restructure some of its manufacturing operations and align its manufacturing capacity to current market conditions. This really sends an alarming situation of the global economy. Even Microsoft is having its first significant layoffs during it’s 34 year of existence.
Smart has introduced another innovative product with its new Plug N Talk device for Filipinos abroad wanting to call their families and friends in the Philippines who has either a landline or mobile phone number. By using the device and an Internet connection, a Filipino abroad can easily call a Philippine phone number at local rates of only Php 6.50 per minute. You can even send text messages at only Php 1.00 per message.
I currently don’t have any relatives abroad who doesn’t have an Internet connection so I would think that most Filipinos abroad would have an Internet connection. If you are a Filipino abroad who has an unlimited Internet connection and is currently spending approximately more than 13 US cents per minute when calling the Philippines on top of your unlimited Internet charges then Smart’s Plug N Talk product may be the device for you.
Sun Cellular has recently joined the 3G bandwagon by introducing Internet broadband services. The current offering of Sun Cellular has upped the ante for broadband services in the Philippines.
One of its offering for mobile broadband Internet access has a “flat rate” of 999 pesos. The plan offers up to 400Kbps in download speed. I’ve tried viewing Youtube videos from one of the Sun Cellular shops and I must say that the videos played smoothly without the “stuttering” that’s all too familiar in one of the all to familiar local broadband providers.
