Quaere Verum

Methinks blogging has lost its charm....

2012-03-10T15:58:00.006+08:00

It's been more than two months since I last posted a blog entry. For some reason I just couldn't be bothered anymore.

I've been blogging for almost eight years now. It used to be a lot of fun. Now, It just seems like a lot of work, when I can easily express myself with a few keystrokes on Facebook or Twitter.

I don't get as much visitors as I used too. No surprise there though...seems like everyone is into social networking sites.

Perhaps...for me at least, blogging has lost it's charm.

It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, quite the contrary.

I've been reassigned at work to something with a little more ooomph. Though it still remains to be seen if I went from the frying pan to the fire.

I've been out of the country a few weeks ago.

I just moved up to a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

And those are not the only things.

I've given up on online gaming, particularly an old favorite of mine, Cabal Online. After my account was hacked several months ago, I couldn't in good conscience give any more of my hard earned money to e-Games who botched up my perfectly good account. I still have a pending complaint with them and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), no results yet though.

In the middle of playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's a fabulous game, but I haven't been playing it much lately. I must be getting old, or at least the gamer in me is.

My son moved out several months ago. It's just as well, it wasn't working out for several reasons.

The point is, my life hasn't been static the way this blog is, and yet, I'm not driven enough to blog about this stuff anymore.

I don't see myself quitting though. But I don't really see myself going back to how I was during the early days, posting almost every day.

I guess I've changed. Maybe a lot. Some things still remain the same though. I still have a lot of frustrations. I still hate summers. And I'm still stuck in my mid-life crisis.

Well, maybe the charm will find itself back to me.

Second last day of the year....

2011-12-30T19:54:00.002+08:00

It's the second last day of the year.

It's been more or less a good year I suppose...still had my fair share of hard knocks. Perhaps even more than years past. I guess things are looking up now...though my losses are still pretty apparent.

I hope 2012 turns out to be a better year than 2011.

Hacked Cabal PH accounts: an inside job?

2011-11-03T13:30:00.005+08:00

I cannot recommend any of their (e-Games') online games to any online gamer who values security and the integrity of their accounts.

Last November 1, around 4:00 PM, I was logged in on Cabal Online PH, a Korean MMORPG published locally by E-Games using my PC at home. With my character just idly standing in the vicinity of Bloody Ice (one of the first three towns of the game) and while I was tending to other things, all of a sudden the account logged off. Thinking it was only a network problem, I tried logging on again, only to be given the message that my account was already active. I logged on, only to be disconnected again, with the message that someone else was logging in my account. I tried logging on again, got disconnected, and tried logging again several times in succession. After several minutes I finally got my account logged on. When I selected the character I was online with only a few moments ago, it was stripped naked. Checking the inventory and personal storage, my worst fears have been confirmed. My account has been hacked, and the valuable items were stolen.

As a matter of course I filed a help ticket with Cabal Online PH's support desk, then I called up my girlfriend who's also into playing Cabal Online. Her account was also hacked...only within a half hour or so of my account being hacked. Like mine, her character lost its armor and a number of valuable items. All in all, the lost items represent quite a huge fortune if expressed in in-game currency, and possibly a small one if we're talking real money.

I guess if you've been playing Cabal Online PH yourself, no doubt you've heard of horror stories of other accounts being hacked. Maybe your account has been hacked before. Me? My account has never been hacked before. My girlfriend's account as well. I've been playing Cabal Online PH for more than three years on and off, and the same account and character of mine that was hacked was the same one I've been using during Cabal Online PH's open beta testing three years ago. My girlfriend has been playing it for slightly more than a year.

The clincher is, I don't think either of us fall within the norm for your standard hacking case.

Both of us are in our 30s, degree holders, gainfully employed, and play Cabal Online as a diversion from our daily routines. We play only on our own PCs and own internet connections. I play on my home PC or on my laptop, connecting either through PLDT DSL or through Sun's wireless broadband service. My girlfriend only plays on her laptop, also through Sun Wireless Broadband. We have never played in an internet café, on a public computer, or on any other computers other than the ones we own.

Both of us have IT backgrounds, so we know the importance of regularly scanning our PCs for viruses and malware. Before and after the hacking incident, we have scanned our computers with reputable and up-to-date anti-malware and anti-virus utilities and determined them to be free from any such malicious software.

We have never used any third-party programs, cheats, or hacks. We play the game as it was meant to be played, and enjoy the game that way.

We've never let anyone else use our accounts. Other than ourselves, no one knows our login names, much less our passwords. And our passwords aren't easy to guess for that matter.

We are aware of phishing and scam sites and have never logged on any of them, and we have never entered our login names and passwords on any other site except the official e-Games portal.

We also as a matter of course keep our inventories and storage areas locked and secured.

Yet, despite all these precautions, our accounts were compromised, and our characters' expensive items stolen.

Perhaps worth noting, is that our accounts only got hacked a couple of weeks after our characters started donning Mithril armor (the most expensive armor in the game) and the fact that our characters belong to the same guild...information, that it isn't farfetched to surmise, which can easily be gleaned from a character database using an appropriate search query.

To be honest, I've been racking my brain if there was something else I could have done differently...something I could have done to further secure my account. I can't think of anything else.

Based on this, we've arrived at the hypothesis that our accounts could have only been hacked by those with inside access, meaning either an e-Games employee, or someone with access to login information obtained through an e-Games employee.

There is simply no other explanation.

Check the audit trails...check the backup data...check the logins of your personnel, and the IP addresses for consistency. It is so easy for an authorized employee to get the relevant login information from its database, forward it to an outside accomplice who can then log in the account and steal the valuable items, only to sell it later for real money.

While e-Games maintains the policy, and this we agree with, that it is the player's responsibility to secure the confidentiality of his/her account password, we strongly disagree with the premise that e-Games itself is entirely free from any liability, given that the security of its internal account database and system are its responsibility and not the responsibility of the players themselves. There are only two possible avenues to a security breach, one is through the client side, and the other through the server side. e-Games cannot claim absence of responsibility on its part of maintaining the security and integrity of its server-side data.

In fact, the Game Policies of e-Games itself bear out this inconsistency:

xxx...E-Games does not guarantee that its portal and corresponding game websites are free of any harmful software, and that the same is hack-proof. Account Security is therefore the sole responsibility of the account holder. As such, you are earnestly enjoined to take all security measures reasonably available to safeguard the operating system and accounts when accessing the Games and the websites...xxx

e-Games admits that it cannot guarantee that its portal and websites are free from any harmful software and the same is [sic] hack proof...and yet in the same paragraph it maintains that account security is the sole responsibility of the account holder.

Honestly, I believe this is a lot of bull. Admitting that one cannot guarantee the security of its system, then passing the sole responsibility of account security to the player, who is merely a client/user. And this from a company who profits by selling privileges to players to use on its system.

I can go on a legalistic tirade on why this policies are bull, but that is not the point of this blog post. The point of this blog post is the fact is that e-Games itself, by our own experience, and by its own admission cannot guarantee the security of its own system. This is simply unacceptable for a company which operates that system for profit.

Admittedly, the concept of MMORPGs has very little legislation going for it in terms of client/user protection, but there are tons of general laws which can be invoked in order to protect the rights of the client/user. It cannot be helped I suppose, online gaming being a niche market in itself, that it is for the most part unregulated. Nonetheless, that is not an excuse for not securing the personal information and login passwords of registered users.

From a practical point of view...if you are aware of and diligently follow all of the rules when it comes to account security, who else is there to blame for hacked accounts? To my mind, the blame falls squarely on e-Games' shoulders, and they cannot shirk away from this responsibility on the basis of its game policies and license agreements.

Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating, nor am I planning to take this issue to court. That's a bit extreme for something which is as trivial as an MMORPG. Nor am I or my girlfriend clamoring for the return of the lost in-game items, which may or may not be possible. Thankfully, the items were procured through honest-to-goodness in-game farming and selling and not bought using real money. But still, the effort exerted shouldn't just go to waste...or trashed because of e-Games' inability to provide adequate data security.

For me, e-Games should just do right to those who have been availing of its services, the very players it gets its profits from. Fortunately or unfortunately, I am not one of those pimple-faced teenagers whose (admittedly sometimes exaggerated) claims or allegations e-Games may easily dismiss.

The requisite help tickets have been filed, though there is still no official response at this point. Personally, I am looking at all the possible angles and remedies for this situation, which may include government involvement, media, and possibly, if the circumstances warrant, court intervention, though only as a last resort, if only just to establish a point, never mind if the case is actually lost or won.

Frankly, the loss represents more to me than just the loss of in-game items. The hacking incident has eroded my trust in e-Games' ability to secure its system, and for that reason I cannot recommend any of their online games to any online gamer who values security and the integrity of their accounts. Go to some other online game publisher, one with a better track record when it comes to security, or stick with local network multiplayer gaming or single-player games.

And consequentially, the lack of trust with e-Games has now deprived me of an activity that I once enjoyed and shared with my significant other and even my son before. It's a good thing though, that there are other things to do. But still...

The reason that hacking is so prevalent...and yes, it IS prevalent...just Google up "Cabal PH hacking"...is because it can potentially be a very lucrative endeavor. It is not unheard of for people to spend up to thousands, even tens of thousands of pesos, just to get the most powerful virtual weapons and armor, or the highest level characters. And somehow, in this gray market, hardly any regulation exists, at the expense of those honest players who don't deal in real-money trading and only wish to enjoy a pleasant and secure gaming experience, willing to pay the nominal and legal costs incidental to it and its local publication, but somehow find themselves victimized by unscrupulous hackers. e-Games' indifference to hacking doesn't help either.

This is not the end though. We may no longer be playing Cabal Online with the enthusiasm and zeal we had before...hell, we may even quit entirely given our distrust with e-Games...but personally, I don't want this loss on our part to be in vain. Sooner or later more people will realize the one-sidedness of this entire episode, e-Games' indifference to the plight of its hacked players, the massive hacking that has remained largely unchecked, and local online game publishers, especially e-Games, will be forced to put a higher priority on data security, on data confidentiality, on employee selection. We expect the highest level of data security when it comes to credit cards, bank accounts, ATMs, money transfers and remittances, social services like SSS and PhilHealth, prepaid loads, internet accounts, email accounts, social networking sites, etc. Online games should be no different. And if a company cannot guarantee the security of its data, it has no business holding our personal account information only for them to lose or allowed to be divulged and be misused.

Sometimes....

2011-09-02T13:33:00.001+08:00

Doing the seemingly hurtful thing is the only way to get the message across.

New notebook....

2011-08-30T13:47:00.009+08:00

Just a few days ago I bought a new notebook computer to replace my trusty yet aging Compaq Presario CQ40-107AU. That notebook served me well for three years, and it'll still continue to serve my purposes here at home, no longer as my main portable unit.

So what did I replace it with? I replaced it, of all things, a Samsung. Yes, I admit, Samsung is not really a brand that comes to mind when talking about notebook computers. Until only a few years ago, they were all but unknown in the portable computing segment. Now, they seem set to be a force to be reckoned with in this product category, the same way they started out before virtually dominating sales of LCD TVs and mobile phones. And their tablets aren't that bad either, having owned a Galaxy Tab for several months now.

It's not that I set out from the start to get a Samsung notebook computer. I do my notebook shopping the same way I've always done...with a budget and set of specs in mind. Then I set out to find the most bang for my hard-earned buck. I've considered the usual suspects: Asus, Acer, Compaq, HP, etc. and even got close to choosing a particular MSI model with an Intel Core i5 processor and a Radeon GPU. Then I saw the Samsung. A Samsung NP 305V4A-S02PH.

The specs are pretty impressive for P32,900.00. At it's heart is an AMD A6-3410MX APU. It's not just a CPU, it's an APU. It combines 4 Phenom II-class processor cores with 1 MB of L2 cache each, a Radeon 6520G GPU, a UVD3 video processor, a DDR3 memory controller, and a PCIe 2.0 controller all on a single die. It runs at a speed of 1.6 GHz, but can push the speed up to 2.3 GHz on individual processor cores when some of them are inactive (Turbo Core technology, in AMD-speak). This chip alone gives you a quad-core processor, a 3D GPU, and a HD video processor.

The rest of the specs outside the APU are not too shabby either. An AMD A60M chipset, a Radeon HD6470M GPU with 512MB GDDR3 dedicated video memory (giving this notebook 2 GPUs) 4 GB of DDR3 memory running at 1333 MHz, a 640 GB SATA drive, a DVD Super-Multi Drive, gigabit LAN, 802.11 b/g/n, a 14" LED display, a 1.3 MP webcam, and card reader, among others. Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bit is also preinstalled, and a recovery disk is included with the package.

Basically, this notebook is not only state-of-the-art (the A6 3410MX APU was only introduced about two months ago), it's chock full of features and affordable to boot. And if Samsung makes notebook computers as well as they make LCD TVs, mobile phones and tablets, I'd say we have a keeper. Well at least for another few years.

Reasons why it's never a good idea to position your PC on the floor....

2011-08-08T21:20:00.002+08:00

For some reason, a lot of my colleagues at work and even some of my friends in their homes prefer to position their PCs on the floor, leaving only their monitors, keyboards and mice on their tables. Frankly, I don't think this is such a good idea. True, the jumble of cables coming from the rear of a PC isn't exactly aesthetically pleasing, but if one values reliability, durability and ease of use above aesthetics, it is always preferable to position a PC in an elevated position such as on a table, and not to leave it on the floor.

Reasons:

Modern PCs have plenty of components which generate a lot of heat such as the CPU, the northbridge chip, power supply and video card among others. To keep these components cool, a PC typically has at least two fans, often more, and are configured to suck cool air from the front of the PC, through the chassis and out through the power supply and/or an exhaust fan at the rear. A PC on the floor tends to suck up the dirt, dust and grime on the floor (even animal hair if you have pets), clogging up heatsinks and coating electronic components, making them less effective in releasing heat to the air. This results in higher operating temperatures which could leading to premature component failure. It's even worse if you sweep in front of the PC, or if your floor is carpeted, as the PC acts like a vacuum cleaner sucking all the dust and dirt in front of it.

Frequent exposure to dust can also cause the optical drive to malfunction as the laser read/write lens can get coated with dust;
In office settings, cleaning crews typically scrub and mop floors during the weekends. It's not unusual for these crews to unwittingly splash water and detergent on PCs located on the floor. Most vulnerable to water splashes are the ports at the rear. Water can also get in through the various air inlets. Moisture can lead to corroded contacts and/or short circuits. The chassis could also rust;
PCs on floors are vulnerable to various small animals/insects. Mice can chew on the various cables, or urinate on the rear ports. Cockroaches may crawl in the small holes of the chassis and lay their eggs or other secretions on the various components. These can be corrosive and eventually lead to component failure;
PCs on floors tend to be more exposed to inadvertent kicks from people sitting in front of them. A kick while the hard drive is reading/writing could result in the read/write head smashing into the hard disk recording surface, possible leading to a hard disk crash, bad sectors and/or loss/corruption of data;
From a usability point of view, it's not very practical to always bend down just to plug in a USB drive or insert a disc in the drive, when you can just reach over if the PC is on your desk;
It also helps if the hard disk access lights are visible. That way you can determine at a glance if your PC has already frozen, or if it's just reading from the drive.

If you really prefer to set your PC on the floor, get one of those stands to elevate the chassis at least several inches from floor level. This would mitigate some of the hazards mentioned above. If your PC's chassis is one of the floor-standing types that are meant to be placed on the floor, keep the area around the PC free from dust or pests.

Lastly, if the jumble of wires from the back of your PC bothers you, invest in wireless keyboard mouse/combo. Nowadays they're dirt cheap. Pardon the pun.

Commonwealth Ave. lot for sale or lease....

2011-07-05T22:03:00.000+08:00

Just a repost. You never know who might notice.

Anyone here interested in purchasing or leasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave.

The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is.

Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com. To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-)

You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries.

Siteplan of the property.

Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue.

Here's a tighter aerial shot. The improvements are clearly visible from this distance.

And just in case you're wondering, no, I didn't hire an airplane or a helicopter. Used Google Earth instead. :-)

20,000 km Hyundai i10....

2011-07-04T19:07:00.007+08:00

19 months ago, I bought a brand new 2009 Hyundai i10 for use as a daily driver to replace the aging 1994 Nissan Sentra I've been driving for several years now. Well, after 20,000 km, I'm pleased to report the car has exceeded all my expectations of Hyundai in general, and of a small city car in particular.

To be perfectly honest though, the Hyundai i10 was not really my first choice for a new car. I've always driven subcompacts before, and I've never driven a car as small as the i10. Like most people, I assumed a city car would be tight on the inside, slow on acceleration, low on power on inclines, and basically full of compromises all throughout. I would have preferred to buy another subcompact, but alas, like most other people, I gravitated to what I could afford and not necessarily what I wanted. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

The i10 is roomier than looking at it from the outside would suggest. It's at least as roomy than the old Nissan Sentra I used to drive, probably roomier. Four average size adults would fit in with no problems, and a fifth passenger could be squeezed in the back seat should the need arise, with not many complaints. Hyundai accomplished this feat of maximizing interior space by pushing the wheels out to the very corners of the car, utilizing a cab forward design, raising the roofline, and mounting the gearshift lever on the dash instead of between the front passenger seats. What you end up is a box on wheels with a very airy and comfortable interior which at first glance doesn't seem to jive with small size of the car when viewed from the outside. Of course, it isn't all roses though. The i10 has a rather small luggage compartment. It could be maximized though, by lowering the rear seatbacks. While the limited cargo capacity may prove to be a liability, it's not a deal breaker by any means considering that the i10 is a city car, and was never really meant to transport huge items. That hasn't stopped me from trying though, as I have successfully transported a computer table, a washing machine, and a personal refrigerator (not at the same time, obviously), when the need came up.

Performance-wise, the i10 is a revelation. Under the short hood is an all aluminum four-cylinder 1.2 liter DOHC 16-valve electronic fuel injection engine which Hyundai calls it's Kappa engine. It produces about 75 hp at 6,000 rpm and 11.8 kg/m of torque at 4,000 rpm. At first I was a bit doubtful about the capabilities of modern small displacement engines, but nowadays, a smallish engine isn't as bad as you might think. Output-wise, it is actually as powerful as some older larger displacement engines, sometimes even more so. Couple that with the i10's low curb weight, and you get a very nippy car. When forced, the engine has enough grunt to take you from zero to a hundred kilometers per hour in 12.8 seconds, and a maximum speed in excess of 160 kph. Nope, those aren't performance car figures, but perfectly adequate for a city car used occasionally on highway jaunts. Besides, with it's 5-speed manual gearbox, you get on average about 12 km/l of fuel in city driving, and upwards of 16 km/l on the highway. I've heard automatics get a lot less though.

As for comfort, the i10 is full of features which used to be unheard of in entry level city cars like power locks and windows, motor driven power steering and airconditioning. For no additional cost I also got keyless entry and alarm, a rear spoiler, door visors, rear backup camera, and a CD/DVD/USB/SD/iPod/TV/AM/FM head unit with a 7" touchscreen.

Safetywise, there's a driver's airbag, seatbelts all around, front foglights, a center high mounted stop light and rear wiper and washer, among the other usual standard safety features.

Okay, so it's cheap, roomy, comfortable, and relatively safe. So how does it hold up after 19 months and 20,000 km?

Mechanically, it's been bulletproof, only requiring typical engine maintenance every 5,000 km. The only trouble spots fixed under warranty were a faulty brakelight switch which occurred after nine months and replaced after about three weeks, an airbag clock spring, and the head unit screen tilt mechanism which both failed after sixteen months and replaced also after about three weeks.

Nitpicks? Aside from the small cargo capacity, the ride is a bit choppy on broken or uneven pavement, though that's to be expected for a small car with a relatively short wheelbase. The stiff suspension however, makes it handle surprisingly well on smooth roads. There's an annoying blind spot by the A-pillars, and Hyundai seems to be rather slow when it comes to procuring spare parts.

All in all, the 2009 Hyundai i10 has proven to be a worthy daily driver and comes highly recommended if you're looking for a cheap, reliable, comfortable and economical city car.

Good points:

Inexpensive to buy;
Spacious interior;
Good fit and finish;
Durable mechanicals;
Quality interior;
Excellent forward visibility;
Feisty engine with good fuel economy;
Lots of standard features;
Good high-speed stability;
Solid ride and handling on smooth roads;
Good ground clearance;
Five-year warranty.

Bad points:

Small cargo capacity;
Blind spot at the A-pillars when cornering;
Choppy ride on broken or uneven pavement;
Manually adjustable side mirrors;
Rumbly OEM tires (Kumho Solus KH17);
Cheap plastic wheel covers;
Small, hard to read tachometer;
No passenger-side airbag and ABS;
Minor electrical gremlins;
Periodic maintenance is every 5,000 km instead of 10,000 km, can get expensive;
Slow turnaround for replacement parts.

Competitors:

Chery QQ (cheaper, questionable quality);
Chevrolet Spark (more power, less torque);
Kia Picanto (smaller engine, more expensive, no airbags)
Suzuki Celerio (with airbags and ABS, smaller engine, cramped interior, manual rear windows).

Must have free apps for your Galaxy Tab....

2011-06-16T11:37:00.003+08:00

Even right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is an eminently useful device. Turn it on for the first time, click on Applications, and almost everything you need is already there, ready to use. A built-in alarm clock, web browser, calendar, music player, calculator, camera, contacts, newsreader, eBook reader, email, memo pad, file manager, navigation, instant messaging, social networking, office suite, you name it, it's probably already there.

You could probably get by using just the preinstalled applications and wouldn't miss a thing. But the Galaxy Tab is more than just the features it already has. It's a full-fledged tablet computer using the very flexible and open Android operating system. As such, it has the potential to be much more than what it was brand new. This is where the Android Market comes in.

The Android Market features hundreds, if not thousands of applications for the Android operating system, and many of them are absolutely free. So other than the investment you already made when you bought your Galaxy Tab and an internet connection which you may have already paid for, you don't have to shell out anymore for useful, quality apps for your tablet.

Here's some of the free Apps I actually use and highly recommend (tested to work on Galaxy Tabs, Froyo and Gingerbread Android versions):

Antivirus

Better safe than sorry.

Anti-Virus Free (AVG Mobilation) - From the authors of the popular AVG Anti-Virus for PCs. Regularly updated.

Toggle Apps

These apps simply turn a feature of the Galaxy Tab on or off. You don't really need them, since the options are already there on the Tab, but some require a little digging through menus, so these can be potential timesavers if you frequently have to toggle features. These also allow you to maximize the Tab's battery because you can easily turn off certain battery-hogging features (like Wi-Fi or GPS for example) with one press. You could also maximize your data plan by turning it on only when needed.

Airplane Mode Toggle (SchreinerDev) - Turn on and off all wireless functions with a single press;

WiFi OnOff (CurveFish) Turn your Wi-Fi on or off with a single press;

APN OnOff (CurveFish) - Enable or disable your access points with a single press. Great for conserving your data plan consumption if it's not unlimited;

Bluetooth OnOff (CurveFish) - Accidentally leave your Bluetooth connection on after using your car's handsfree or a headset? A single press now turns it off;

GPS OnOff (CurveFish) The GPS receiver can be a real battery-hog. Turn it off with one press;

AutoRotate OnOff (CurveFish) - Toggle the auto-screen orientation lock on or off with a single keypress.

Shortcuts

2G-3G OnOff (CurveFish) - Quick shortcut to the Mobile network settings menu. Turn packet data on or off, change network modes (GSM/WCDMA);

Camcorder Shortcut (Bryan Owens) - One press and your camera is activated and in movie mode. Just press the record button to start. Perfect for those moments where timing is everything;

Tethering Shortcut (KABASOFT) - Instant access to the Tethering and portable hotspot menu.

App Management

App 2 SD Free (Sam Lu) - Move applications between phone memory and SD card quickly. Also provides quick uninstall functions.

Browser

Dolphin Browser™ HD (Dolphin Browser) - Lots of browsers for the Android platform, but this is arguably one of the best.

Instant Messaging

Trillian (Cerulean Studios, LLC) - Manages all of your instant messaging/email/social networking accounts with one app. A bit similar to Meebo IM, but I prefer to use this one, probably because I use Trillian on my PCs as well, and I already have a Trillian account. Still, easy enough to use even if you're a first time Trillian user. And much better than using multiple IM apps.

Social Networking

Seesmic (Seesmic) - Manage your social networks from one single App. Enables widgets with status updates. Much better than the Facebook and Twitter android apps. Those don't seem to update themselves.

Miscellaneous

Font for Galaxy (bottobuche) - Getting tired of the Galaxy Tab's stock fonts? Get new ones with this app. Despite the permissions asked, it DOES NOT make phone calls. It's probably just a remnant from the development kit used. Just does what it's advertised to do. Downloads and installs fonts.

Gauge Battery Widget (Tomas Hubalek) - Excellent battery status monitoring app.

Video

Rockplayer Lite (品雪) - Plays virtually any video file format smoothly.

To find the apps mentioned above in the Android Market, just search for them using their names, or the names of the developers (in parentheses). These apps are not necessarily the only ones of their kind, nor are they necessarily the best. It all comes down to a matter of taste, it just turns out that I like these apps.

If you have any suggestions/recommendations for other useful free apps for the Galaxy Tab, or perhaps better ones than those I suggested, let me know.

Cats have feelings too....

2011-06-14T00:01:00.001+08:00

Can't get this video out of my head. We're pretty arrogant to think that we're the only beings on this planet capable of feeling emotions. The cat above clearly recognizes the dead cat as a companion that it just can't leave behind, and it does everything it can to revive it. You can sense it's frustration as its efforts prove fruitless, and it's sadness and realization of loss is palpable in the end. We don't need to anthromorphize the cat. It's expressing it's feelings much like any human would. And unlike any human, its emotions are clear and pure, uncluttered by human abstracts such as intent, malice, or conformity. If only animals can speak.

Techie wannabees and cheapskates....

2011-06-13T16:21:00.002+08:00

It used to be that techheads and geeks were few and far between. And that's still true, as far as the real techies are concerned. As for "wannabe techies", they seem to coming out all over the place, and worse, they're multiplying like rabbits.

We have the decreasing cost of technology to thank for that. It used to be that tech gadgets cost an arm and a leg. Not anymore. Desktop PCs, notebooks, netbooks, digital cameras, MP3 players, cellphones, etc., have been commoditized to the point that you can buy a perfectly decent sample of any of these things for just a reasonable amount of money. And if it breaks, it's probably even cheaper to just buy new instead of having it repaired. Tablets are likely to be the next big thing to be turned into mere commodities. Manufacturers are launching new models left and right, and the makers who deal in huge volumes like Acer, Asus, HP, etc. are getting in on the action. It's a safe bet that in a year or two, tablets, regardless of make, will be as common as cellphones are now.

I'm not complaining about that. It's good that tech has gone mainstream. Technology should be accessible to everyone, not only to a select few. But still, it has its drawbacks.

Like the emergence of the new breed of "techie wannabees". People who a year or two ago would probably not even bother to or dare buy a new PC, tablet or smartphone are now buying in droves, driven by the techno-lust inspired by the new generation of relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, and fashionable must-have tech doodads. That's all well and good, but as with all things, a little knowledge still remains a dangerous thing.

Like this person I know who used to lust over an iPhone and a Galaxy S smartphone. Now he wants a Galaxy S II. That's just dandy and all, but he only uses his phone to call and text. He doesn't have a data plan, doesn't intend to get a data plan, and he's not even that interested in browsing the net or even reading his email on the go. He's not into social networks, and on top of that, he's farsighted so he can hardly read his phone without his reading glasses or squinting like Jan-Michael Vincent, if you're old enough to remember him. Despite this, he would evangelize to me how a particular model is so much better because it has an AMOLED display, or this model is better because its processor is 1 GHz while a competing product runs as 800 MHz. When window shopping for a new phone he would dress down a hapless store clerk for suggesting a model without an AMOLED screen when he probably doesn't even know what AMOLED stands for (it stands for Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode). I spotted him a few days ago, and he's using a cheap myPhone. Not that there's anything wrong about using a cheap phone...but you do have to ask yourself what the fuss was all about. Go figure.

Then there's this other person, who bought an iPad 2 even before it was formally introduced here. He bought the top-of-the-line WiFi+3G model, and carries it with him everywhere he goes. On one occasion, a colleague inquired on how much his baby cost. He replied that he bought it in excess of 1,000 USD (converted for clarity from local currency) from a gray market vendor. When asked if he has a data plan for it, he said no, adding that he only uses prepaid credits, and there's no need, since he (braggingly) said that he had a broadband connection at home. To my mind, he's just showing off, and failing miserably at it, showing in the process how much of a techie wannabe and cheapskate he is at the same time. If you can afford to buy an expensive 3G tablet, it's a no-brainer to get a data plan (even a cheap one) for it. If you only plan to use it with your home internet connection, then don't even bother getting a 3G model. And if you can afford a $1,000 tablet, you can afford to buy a cheap data plan. It's like buying an expensive exotic car then mounting cheap wheels and tires on it, just because you claim you don't get out much. Absolutely pointless.

Then there's the time when two people I know were insisting that getting an external keyboard for a tablet was a good idea. Frankly, I think the whole thing is as pointless as watering your plants during a rainstorm. One of them insisted that you can do office work on it if you had a keyboard. You buy a tablet for its portability. You use it to consume content. Tablets, no matter what size, were never really intended for users who create content. Aside from the basics, there really isn't much you can do with it with it...but that's perfectly alright, because that's how tablets were designed in the first place. If you were to go through the trouble of getting a tablet and carrying an external keyboard with you wherever you go and try to do office work on it, then you might as well should have bought a notebook or netbook computer from the start. It's like buying a sleek sports car and fitting it with an offroad suspension and wheels and tires, when you could have opted to just a buy an SUV from the start.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I could go on and on with all the arguments and discussions (friendly ones to be sure) I've had with techie wannabees. Frankly, I'm just getting tired of listening to and dealing with these people.

Oh well. That's progress for you.

Related Posts:

Tech Poseurs....

How to upgrade your Galaxy Tab from Froyo to Gingerbread....

2011-06-12T16:39:00.006+08:00

The much awaited Android 2.3.3 ("Gingerbread") upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Tab has finally made it's way to the Philippines after months of waiting, and thankfully, installing the update is a relatively painless exercise.

You need the following to perform the upgrade:

Your Samsung Galaxy Tab (with the older 2.2 "Froyo" Android OS), battery fully charged (just to be on the safe side);
Data cable;
The latest version of Samsung Kies (latest version as of this posting is v2.0.0.11044_11_3);
PC with internet connection.

The time to complete the process depends a lot on the speed of your internet access. In my case it took about half an hour on a modest 1 Mbps DSL connection.

Connect the Galaxy Tab to the PC via data cable and run Samsung Kies. Depending on how you have your Tab set up it will either automatically connect itself to the Samsung Kies application, or it will ask you to select a USB mode. If it does, select Samsung Kies. Once the tablet is recognized the software will inform you of an available firmware update and ask you if you wish to install it. Select "Yes" and follow the rest of the instructions. You will be prompted to backup the data on your tablet, which you ought to do, just in case something goes wrong.

A few suggestions: close other running applications on your PC, stop or pause any other ongoing downloads, don't fiddle with the tablet's menu during the process, don't shut down the PC or tablet, don't disconnect the data cable.

Note that if you use your Galaxy Tab as a phone, you won't be able receive calls or text during the duration of process.

As with all firmware upgrades, the trick for a successful firmware installation is to make sure that the process is not interrupted for whatever reason, and to get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

At this point all you have to do is wait while the update is downloaded. It may take a while if you have a slow internet connection. Once the update is downloaded, it will automatically install itself on the tablet. Later on you will be prompted to restart the tablet and to disconnect/reconnect the data cable.

If all goes well (and it probably should), your Galaxy Tab will boot up with the new Android version.

I haven't been fully able to spot all the differences from the older Android version, but offhand I'd say that the upgrade made some minor tweaks to the interface and slightly improves the response time of the tablet.

For a complete list of differences between Froyo and Gingerbread, try this link.

I wonder if Samsung will come up with an Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" update for the Galaxy Tab. Let's not hold our breath. But let's keep our fingers crossed.

The Benefits of Rye Bread

2011-05-30T21:16:00.004+08:00

Two old guys, one 80 and one 87, were sitting on their usual park bench one morning.

The 87 year old had just finished his morning jog and wasn't even short of breath. The 80 year old was amazed at his friend's stamina and asked him what he did to have so much energy.

The 87 year old said, "Well, I eat rye bread every day. It keeps your energy level high and you'll have great stamina with the ladies."

So, on the way home the 80 year old stops at the bakery. As he was looking around, the lady asked if he needed any help.

He said "Do you have any Rye bread?"

She said, "Yes, there's a whole shelf of it. Would you like some?"

He said, "I want 5 loaves."

She said, "My goodness, 5 loaves ... By the time you get to the 3rd loaf, it'll be hard."

He replied, "I can't believe it, everybody knows about this shit but me."

Sometimes....

2011-05-26T23:12:00.000+08:00

Things don't work out. Even if you try to do the right thing.

Costco Doctor

2011-05-20T10:47:00.001+08:00

One day, in line at the company cafeteria, Phil says to Mike behind him, "My elbow hurts like hell. I guess I'd better see a doctor."

"Listen, you don't have to spend that kind of money," Mike replies.

"There's a diagnostic computer down at Costco. Just give it a urine sample and the computer will tell you what's wrong and what to do about it.

It takes ten seconds and costs ten dollars - A lot cheaper than a doctor."

So, Phil deposits a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Costco.

He deposits ten dollars and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample...

He pours the sample into the slot and waits.

Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout:

"You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity.. It will improve in two weeks. Thank you for shopping @ Costco.."

That evening, while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Phil began wondering if the computer could be fooled.

He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, urine samples from his wife and daughter, and a sperm sample from himself for good measure.

Phil hurries back to Costco, eager to check the results.. He deposits ten dollars, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results .

The computer prints the following:

1. Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener. (Aisle 9)
2. Your dog has ringworm.. Bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo. (Aisle 7)
3. Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.
4. Your wife is pregnant. Twins. They aren't yours.. Get a lawyer.
5. If you don't stop masturbating, your elbow will never get better!

Thank you for shopping @ Costco!

Unsafe at any speed....

2011-05-18T10:30:00.006+08:00

The title of this blog post is a nod towards Ralph Nader's polemic 1965 book of the same title, responsible for bringing the issue of automotive safety into the eyes of the American public. Maybe, just maybe, this post could have a similar effect with respect to the Philippine public regarding the ubiquitous passenger jeepney.

In May of 2005, I wrote a blog post about why passenger jeepneys should be phased out. After six years, I think the time is right to revisit this issue.

Let's get straight to the point. My opinion on this hasn't changed. I personally feel that contemporary jeepneys should be phased out.

Jeepneys are throwbacks to a long bygone era, and are potential deathtraps for the people who drive them, the people who ride them, and the people who walk around them, the people who drive around them.

Think about it. While passenger cars have grown a long laundry list of safety features over the past several decades in an effort to reduce fatalities in accidents, jeepneys have essentially remained unchanged in design and concept after they first came into being after the close of the Second World War. In other words, they are hardly any safer now than they were before. And with engine power increasing leading to higher and higher road speeds, jeepneys are probably more dangerous now than they ever were before.

Skeptical? Just Google jeepney accidents Philippines.

But why blame the passenger jeepney? According to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the leading cause of road accidents is human error. While I'm not disputing this fact, the thing is, while human error really does cause accidents, properly implemented vehicle safety features can do a lot to reduce fatalities and injuries by: 1) Improving the vehicle's ability to avoid accidents (active safety); or 2) Significantly reducing or redirecting the crash forces involved if an accident does occur (passive safety);

The point of the matter is, passenger jeepneys as we know them substantially lack both.

Simple things we take for granted in passenger cars that are typically absent from passenger jeepneys which could help them avoid accidents in the first place:

Working dashboard gauges and warning lights, particularly speedometers;

Working and visible park lights, turn signal lights, brake lights, tail lights and reversing lights;

Efficient or even working windshield wipers;

All you have to do is ride one or look around when you're on the road. I wonder how these vehicles can pass inspection when their registrations are renewed.

Front disc brakes.

A significant number of jeepneys still get by using front drum brakes when virtually everything else on the road has moved on to front disc brakes since the 60s. Couple drum brakes' tendency to fade under frequent braking typical in city driving and for picking up passengers, or to lock up under hard braking, and with long daily duty cycles, and inadequate maintenance, you have a surefire recipe for road accidents waiting to happen.

Then there's absent passive safety features which should kick in when an accident is inevitable:

No properly engineered crumple zones;
No side impact protection;
No padded dashboards;
Inadequate, non-functional or absent seatbelts for the front drivers and passengers;
Exposed bare metal which could easily rip flesh of passengers in an accident;
Little or no padding for rear passengers, unless you count fellow passengers as padding;
Ornamentation on the front and rear which could easily impale pedestrians or exacerbate damage to others cars even in low speed collisions;

The front of a contemporary jeepney can rip an unwitting pedestrian to shreds. The forest of poles, antennae and metal ornaments can impale people, the front bumpers and bars can break legs or mangle other cars' bumpers. Artistic? Perhaps. Safe? No.

I know that jeepneys are a testament to Filipino ingenuity. I know that they are unique to our culture. I know that jeepneys are as Filipino as say, adobo or the carabao, but no matter how you slice it, jeepneys are just unsafe. Better that they be in museums than on public roads.

A lot of them are fabricated using surplus right-hand drive components which are of questionable safety and reliability in a left-hand drive road network. They're also wasteful, noisy and dirty. They're heavy, aerodynamically inefficient behemoths, with unmuffled exhausts filling the air with tons of unburned hydrocarbons thanks to the proliferation of surplus diesel engines which aren't rebuilt to spec.

If private vehicles have to meet safety, noise and emission requirements and regulations, why can't we be more strict when it comes to public vehicles, especially jeepneys? There are already regulations when it comes to basic roadworthiness and acceptable levels of noise and pollution yet we do not seem to have the political will to implement these consistently.

I just find it shocking that we can turn a blind eye to these things even though our loved ones ride these things everyday to work and to school.

As I've said in my earlier blog post, it is not being suggested that jeepneys be phased out abruptly. It is recognized that a lot of Filipinos rely on jeepneys as their means of livelihood. The phasing out of jeepneys as we know them can be done in a span of years or even decades, while alternative modes of transportation are phased in, or the jeepney reengineered to be safer.

I'm not anti-jeepney per se. Just given a choice between tradition and safety, I'll sure as hell choose safety. Especially when friends and family, commuters, pedestrians and drivers alike are at risk every day.

Where have all the bloggers gone...?

2011-05-16T15:41:00.002+08:00

A lot of them have quit.

Some have better things to do.

For some it was just a fad that they hopped on.

For some it became too much work.

Not many people bloghop anymore.

Why bother, when there's Facebook and Twitter.

Me? I'm still here.

It's been seven years.

I still blog.

I miss the old days.

The illusion of choice....

2011-05-15T07:18:00.006+08:00

It's nice to believe that we are all masters of our own fate. The captains of our own ships. The average Joe would probably prefer to believe the concept of free choice other than predestination. To believe in predestination is to believe that all our actions are of no consequence and our fate is predetermined and inescapable. Or, that our actions do have some little consequence over some bits and pieces of our lives but the ultimate outcome remains carved in stone.

I don't know.

The best I can think of is that life is like a game of Monopoly, or poker. There is still skill involved, but skill is nothing without a good roll of the die or luck of the draw. Skill and perseverance by themselves are probably not enough, otherwise everyone working their tails off should be successful eventually. We all know this is not the case. As for pure luck, I'm not sure, I've never been that lucky to know firsthand how it is. Still, I guess it happens. People win lotteries. Some people are just at the right place at the right time. But luck is a variable, an indeterminable, an x-factor which you can't count on in life. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it isn't. And sometimes you just can't tell at all.

So if you can't rely on luck, you try to take matters into your own hands. You take charge, you take control. You make choices. But, for the sake of discussion within the confines of this blog post, let's just say that choice seems somewhat...illusory. We all make choices everyday, mundane things like what to eat, what to buy, where to go, to serious things like business decisions and personal relationships, to the seemingly irrelevant like personal labels and opinions...but most of us are still stuck in our daily routines. Choice, despite all its hype, for the most part seems to refuse to lift us from the doldrums of our daily existence. Or it is just incapable of doing so.

Just like an airbag or a seatbelt. We're just pleased to know it's there, but 99.9% of the time we don't need it, and for that 99.9% it's existence is meaningless. Unless of course you're in a car accident, and for that .1% airbags and seatbelts are the greatest things in the world.

Maybe that is the paradox of choices. Maybe, just maybe, 99.9% of the time, we'd rather choose to remain where we are now. Of course, the choice not to make a choice is a choice in itself.

Choice is also limited. The most important aspects of our lives are beyond our control. Our physical attributes and appearances are dictated by genes (unless you're extremely vain and/or you can afford cosmetic surgery). Our parents, our economic conditions at the start, our race, our nationalities, our genders (notwithstanding sex change operations), maybe even our sexual preferences are all predetermined at birth. Even after birth, our fates are at the mercy of those who rear us. Our mannerisms, beliefs, religion, morals, are shaped by those who raise us, by the schools we go to, and by the time we are of sufficient age to discern what we want for ourselves, the damage has been done, so to speak, and any new paths we choose to take are often initiated by thoughts of dissatisfaction, disillusionment, or disgruntlement over the status quo. And sometimes, it's already too late. We end up who we are...whether we like it or not.

The concept of youth is also paradox in itself. Why are the most important choices in our lives, the ones which may actually have some bearing for the rest of our lives given to us in our youth, when we do not have the wisdom, the mental and emotional fortitude to make good choices. It seems that life has condemned us to make mistakes in our youth and to spend most of our adult lives paying for those mistakes.

Maybe that's the way life was meant to be.

I can be such a cynic. :-)

Still, agree or disagree...it makes good food for thought. It's a debate that has been going on since time immemorial, and it doesn't seem if anyone will have any of the answers anytime soon.

Sometimes...I just think that there's really no such thing as fate or destiny. Or even control or choice. Everything just revolves around...causality. Things happen simply because. Just because. Good or bad, that maybe all there is to it. Causality. Maybe I'll go further along this train of thought in future post. For now, let's leave it at that.

No one can see beyond a choice they don't understand, and I mean no one.

- The Oracle

An Inspirational Short Story for Mother's Day

2011-05-08T07:01:00.000+08:00

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.

As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.

He asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother.

But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars."

The man smiled and said, "Come on in with me. I'll buy you a rose."

He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.

She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother."

She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's house.

10 Stupid things Pinoy drivers do to their cars....

2011-05-07T13:13:00.002+08:00

I've been driving for 18 years now. I guess that gives away my age, but I doubt it if anyone gives a damn if I was born during the martial law era. In my 18 years of driving I've known other people who drive as well, and they range from those who consider driving just another way of getting from point A to point B, to those who live and breathe driving and cars. I guess I'm somewhere in between. If I were richer I'd probably be more of an automobile enthusiast than I am now, but I'm just an average Joe, content to be a least comfortable during my daily commute and to average more than 10 km/l, though I enjoy a nice long jab at the accelerator every now and then. I used to read a lot of car mags, but now the economy has relegated me to reading only local publications. Not that I'm complaining though, the quality of writing on local car mags has improved significantly since the early days. But enough about me.

This is a list of 10 stupid things that Pinoy drivers do to their cars. A couple of these I must have read from somewhere, though most of them are just from the top of my head, and I haven't read any mention of them as far as I know. If you fall under one of the categories, don't fret. To each his own. :-)

1. They install massive decklid spoilers. - A well integrated spoiler improves the lines of a car, but massive racing spoilers are not only an eyesore, they block rear visibility and increase weight and drag (and thus fuel consumption). Besides, how much downforce does one need while stuck in traffic in EDSA? And why would you even bother increasing downforce on a front-wheel drive vehicle?

2. They install badges for other makes on their cars. - Trust me, a BMW "M" badge does NOT look cool affixed to the trunk lid of a Civic.

3. They pile stuffed toys and dolls on their rear shelf. - The rear windshield was designed so that you can see what's their behind you, so what's the point of blocking your rear windshield with stuffed animals? Well, at least they'll cushion the impact if you reverse into anything.

4. They showcase miniature cars on their dashboard. - In the event of a massive front crash (God forbid), the small model cars you have on your dashboard will just make small car-like craters on your face.

5. They turn their front dashboards into religious shrines. - Nothing against religion, but, same as above, in the event of a crash those small figurines will just cause further injury if you smash into them. What's the point of having a padded dashboard if you put hard things on it?

6. They mount fake carbon fiber stickers on their hoods. - What's the point? The initiated will know they're fake straight away. The uninitiated won't give a crap. Same goes for the fake discs mounted on rear drums and fake hood scoops.

7. They cover the front windshield and windows with sunshades, newspapers, etc. when the sun is bright WHILE DRIVING. - Don't be a cheapskate and just buy decent window tint. Or at least a pair of sunglasses.

8. They drive with their hoods open. - Taxi drivers started this trend, when temperature gauges were replaced by idiot lights. It most likely increases drag, and probably doesn't really improve cooling. If the cooling system is well maintained, it'll be able to take the heat.

9. They mount super dark tint, then make cutouts for the side mirrors. - What's the point? Then just get lighter tint if you can't see through the dark stuff.

10. They cover up the rear high mount stop lamp with stickers. - It's a safety feature to complement your brakelights. Why mess with it?

That's all the comes to mind at this point. Maybe I'll add to this list if I think of any more. :-)

Commonwealth Ave. lot for sale or lease....

2011-05-02T09:02:00.002+08:00

Just a repost. You never know who might notice.

You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries.

Siteplan of the property.

Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue.

Here's a tighter aerial shot. The improvements are clearly visible from this distance.

And just in case you're wondering, no, I didn't hire an airplane or a helicopter. Used Google Earth instead. :-)

Native American Code of Ethics

2011-04-21T16:06:00.001+08:00

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

Respect all things that are placed upon this earth—whether it be people, animal or plant. Honor the Spirit in all things.

Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

Nature is not for us, it is a part of us. They are part of your worldly family.

Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe.

Keep yourself balanced. Your mental self, spiritual self, emotional self, and physical self—all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react.

Be responsible for your own actions.

Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others—especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.

Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.

Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity. Be willing to give back to the people, so that People will live.

A nation of softies....

2011-04-05T08:54:00.017+08:00

A rant against contemporary Filipino society by an average Joe.

I hate to say it, but we're a nation of softies.

It's this soft stance on things which makes us all a bunch of undisciplined spoiled brats, unable to take ourselves, the things we do, our personal circumstances, or other people seriously. As a result, the concept of personal responsibility seems alien to us, and we lack the credibility for our acts or statements to have any teeth to them.

Examples, from the top of my head:

Squatters

Our government tolerates squatters. There are politically correct terms such as "informal communities" or "depressed areas", but it's all the same to me. They're all just squatters, plain and simple. They arrive and occupy land which they clearly do not own, act as if they own it, and resist with all their might when the owner tries to get them to vacate. And they have the gall to ask the government for land and even sources of livelihood. Squatting is theft, plain and simple. Whether it's land or anything else, no one has the right to appropriate property which clearly belongs to another. And to demand housing or jobs in exchange for leaving is just plain extortion. Squatting should be treated for the crime that it really is.

Election Fraud

Virtually everyone does it, so no one really loses an election. Everyone is cheated out of victory. Hardly anyone gets convicted, hardly any election result overturned, and in the rare cases where the results are reversed, the term is already set to expire. When are we going to see people going to jail for cheating in elections?

Drug Mules

Why do we consider drug mules as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) when in fact the vast majority are not? Typical drug mules have no job contracts, aren't formally recruited by authorized recruiters, their travel documents are for tourists and not for workers, and most of them either: 1) know that they are indeed transporting drugs; 2) blinded by the lure of easy money or foreign travel that they will do anything without even knowing all the details; or 3) gullible enough to agree to transport a bag or package without knowing what the contents are. Worse, when convicted for drug smuggling, they plead for the government to help them, despite their lack of common sense or their complicity in taking part in a crime, and if, God forbid, they are executed, the nation treats them as martyrs, ignoring the fact that they are convicted felons in another country. With all due respect, martyrs are people who have died for their principles, beliefs or convictions, not people who have died in the pursuit of personal wealth or because of lack of foresight. You can't just keep blaming the government for lack of jobs. Avoiding involvement in crime is our personal responsibility. This doesn't go for just drug mules, but for anyone unable to keep his or her nose clean in another country. Just because we baby criminals here doesn't mean other countries do the same.

TNTs

I find it annoying that a lot of Filipinos refuse to follow various laws, rules and regulations when it comes to working abroad, such as working in places where there are deployment bans, falsifying documents, resorting to unauthorized recruiters, or evading immigration authorities (hence, Tago Ng Tago), but the moment the shit hits the fan, such as being arrested for a crime, or being trapped in a war zone, these very people who refused to go through proper channels now plead a resource strapped government for assistance, to the detriment of those who are also in trouble but followed the rules. Yes, the government should help all Filipinos...but the priority should be for those who obeyed the laws and exerted effort in making sure all their papers are in order.

High Fuel Prices and Public Transport

I find it terribly shortsighted when public transport groups think a transport strike (or "caravan") is the solution for higher fuel prices. The higher cost of energy, specifically petroleum products, is a global phenomenon, and it is not isolated to our shores. In fact, we even have it better than some other countries, where fuel prices are higher. It's pretty naive to think that everyone else on the planet is affected by the higher cost of crude yet we shouldn't be. It's common sense that the public transport industry always suffers a direct hit when the price of fuel escalates. If they didn't want to take such a hit, they should have went into some other kind of business. Besides, it's humanity's fault for putting all our eggs into the oil basket. So to them, I say grin and bear it. If you can't do that, than go do something else for a living. Notwithstanding taxes, deregulation, and oil cartels, the price of oil will remain high, and probably increase more in the future. It has consistently done that since the automobile was invented. I don't like any more than you do, but that's just the way things are.

Corruption

What else is there to say? When was a big fish last convicted for corruption? Have we ever convicted any big fish? Impeachment trials for one of our former Presidents and now one scheduled for the Ombudsman, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings in aid of legislation...when are we going to send anyone to jail? Are we content just to enter into plea bargains or detain them for contempt? Aren't these people in office to serve us citizens? Or are they in it to serve themselves?

Rotten Police

Read the paper and almost everyday there's a story about a police officer committing a crime, the most recent one involving extortion on a TV and radio personality. What kind of standards do we have for recruiting police officers anyway? Can any lowlife Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to be a cop be a cop just like that?

Rotten (or lazy, or incompetent) Prosecutors

The Ombudsman, the country's highest ranking government prosecutor, is impeached. A plea bargain with a plunderer. Inaction leading to the Manila hostage crisis. Whatever happened to "a public office is a public trust" anyway?

Anti-Spanking Bill

I'm against child abuse as much as anyone else, nor do I condone physical violence against children but filing a bill against spanking one's kids is too much. As a parent, I want my right to discipline my own child in the way I see fit, as long as it isn't excessive, cruel, or endangers the well being of the child. Sometimes corporal punishment is the quickest way to get children, especially younger ones who have difficulty understanding the reasons why things should or should not be done, to understand the message. Children should learn that doing the wrong thing has its consequences. There are generations of us raised on corporal punishment. It's been done since time immemorial. To suddenly blame it as the cause of society's ills is pretty presumptuous, when we can't or won't even punish our own criminals, especially those in high places. Lawmakers, leave this alone. Go fix society's problems instead.

War with Communist Rebels and Islamic Secessionists

This has been going on for decades. Either we lack the political will to end these conflicts once and for all, or our armed forces are too corrupt and incompetent to get the job done. It's probably both. We negotiate with these people, have ceasefires, treat them as military belligerents when most of the time they act as common thugs, robbers, vandals, extortionists, kidnappers, murderers and terrorists. These people are just bandits plain and simple and whether they pretend to be patriots with a cause is irrelevant. They should just be treated like the criminals they are. Treat them with kid gloves, and the cycle just continues, and the affected areas hardly see a shred of progress despite the passage of decades and numerous government administrations.

Willie Revillame

What's Willie Revillame doing here? Well, he's just an example of how society, in particular television, can be so twisted. He has been involved in allegations of domestic violence, objectification and sexualization of women (just search for Willie Revillame on Youtube, you get tons of clips in him engaging in inappropriate behavior), disrespecting the funeral cortege of a former President, humiliation of unknowing friends on live television, and now, allegations of child abuse, all for a show which earns him big bucks for exploiting and debasing the poor. What is he still doing on television?

That's enough ranting...I guess sometimes I just get worked up from all the things I read in the papers, listen to or watch on the news, or browse on the web. We as a people, as a country, should really start taking personal responsibility for our actions, and we should be held accountable for the wrong things that we do, or the things that we should have done but neglected to. Getting away with wrongdoings, no matter how grave, or inconsequential, only perpetuates the cycle of impunity which is the root of the moral decay our society is suffering from. Simply put, we should think twice about doing something. Then think some more. And if that something is wrong, we better be prepared for the consequences. Poverty, ignorance, or lack of common sense is no excuse for not being personally responsible for one's own actions or inactions. This is the least we can do for our country, and we should not always expect our country to do things for us.

Reasons why I bought a Galaxy Tab instead of an iPad....

2011-03-25T01:30:00.004+08:00

Okay, I finally took the plunge and bought a tablet, a Samsung Galaxy Tab. For those who are curious why I chose a Galaxy Tab over an iPad (first generation), here are my reasons:

Price

The Galaxy Tab is only a little bit more expensive than a Wi-Fi only iPad, yet it's a lot cheaper than a Wi-Fi/3G iPad;

Connectivity

With 3G and Wi-Fi, I can connect to the internet wherever there's a hotspot or a 3G/HSDPA signal. The Galaxy Tab is capable of tethering, so I can also plug it to my laptop to access the internet. It can also be a personal hotspot, if a number of nearby devices need internet access.

I'm no iPad expert, but it seems that according to a number of forums (fora?) I have checked out, tethering and being a portable hotspot range to being impossible (particularly with iPads locked to certain carriers, with certain iOS versions, or with specific data plans) to possible (with unlocked versions, with some data plans with some providers, or with certain iOS versions) to difficult, achievable only after jailbreaking, resorting to some exploits, or performing some hardware hacks. With the Galaxy tab, tethering and being a portable hotspot are standard features of Android 2.2, easily enabled via a menu selection (assuming of course, it isn't locked by some provider);

Software

Granted, the iPad has tons more apps than via Apple's App Store than the Galaxy Tab's Android Market, but in essence you can install any Android App you want, even those from outside the Android Market or those written by independent developers. With an iPad, you can only install Apple-authorized apps, and you need to jailbreak your iPad if you want to install unauthorized ones. A lot of the good apps for the Android OS are actually free, like the ever popular Angry Birds game. It costs 5$ for the iPad and iPhone;

Size

With a screen size of only 7", the Galaxy Tab is smaller than the iPad with it's 9.7" screen. While that gives the iPad a lot more screen real estate to work with, the smaller screen size of the Galaxy Tab makes it smaller, lighter, and therefore more portable than the iPad. This makes it a perfect fit for my Samsonite shoulder bag (which I've had before I bought the Galaxy Tab and isn't designed specifically for tablets). Bigger isn't always better, especially when portability is a priority for the user;

Cameras

The Galaxy Tab has front and rear cameras, while the iPad has none (the iPad2 has front and rear cameras though). It's not necessarily a deal breaker for the iPad, but it's a nice feature to have which can be useful at times;

Phone

The Galaxy Tab can be used as a phone (albeit a huge one). You can make calls, video calls, send SMS or MMS messages. iPad? Nah. iPad2? Ditto;

Storage

The Galaxy Tab has a microSD slot for additional storage. iPad has none.

GPS

The Galaxy Tab has a built in GPS receiver for navigation. The Wi-Fi only iPad doesn't, though the more expensive Wi-Fi/3G versions also have GPS.

Downsides?

No matter how you slice it, a Samsung device won't have the flash and panache of an Apple device. The iPad is simply sleeker and cooler looking (and the iPad2 more so). And sometimes, you'd wish you have a bigger screen. Oh, the iPad has a longer battery life (9 hours versus the Tab's 7) too.

Bottomline?

No device is perfect. You choose what best suits your needs, requirements, and budget, regardless of brand. Whatever you choose, in a year or two it'll be obsolete anyway.

The Galaxy Tab and iPad are both technologically at par with each other, except for the camera, phone bits and microSD slot (okay, so they're not at par) which are absent from the original iPad, and the Tab's smaller screen. It's just that Apple limits the iPad's functionality so it and the service providers which carry it can make a profit over what can be installed and what it does. Jailbreaking solves the problem, but only if you risk voiding the warranty. Just doesn't seem worth it for me...even in exchange for the Apple logo.

In the market for a tablet....

2011-03-16T08:33:00.005+08:00

I'm planning on getting a tablet computer anytime now. Do I really need one? No, but I want one, and I can surely use one. I'm all for the "connected" lifestyle so to speak, since much of what I do with my time is browse the internet and read, so why not have a device that makes it convenient to do both regardless of whether I'm at work, at home, on vacation, or anywhere in between?

I'm not an early adopter, otherwise I would have already had one by now. Nor am I filthy rich, but I'm willing to pay high if it's worth it in features, design and construction quality...well, "reasonable" high at least, which for me is in the middle 20s (in thousands of PHP), though lower would be better.

Right now the tablet I'm eyeing is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. At first glance it seems to have all the features I want, from the obvious ones like Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, front and rear cameras, memory expandability, to the not so obvious ones like GPS, and an open architecture via Google's Android OS.

For most people I guess, the obvious choice when it comes to choosing a tablet would be Apple's iPad. And why not? It certainly deserves the distinction of being the de facto standard of what to expect in a tablet device, with more than 15 million units sold and demand still high.

But the iPad is not for me. Not for now at least.

I have always admired Apple products for their elegance, aesthetics and design, but I have never really warmed up to their closed architectures and design philosophy of always putting form ahead of function. So, while most techies I know are raving about their Macs and iPods and iPhones, I have yet to own my first Apple product...unless you count that old Apple II Plus my parents bought for me in the 80s.

Call me a stickler, but I could never get past the lack of software (especially games) and hardware upgrades for the Mac. I never liked the idea that I couldn't easily change the batteries of the iPod and iPhone when they were run down, and I didn't really appreciate Apple telling me what software I can and cannot install. Most of all, I couldn't rationalize paying more for something prettier, but had less going for it. Yeah, it's debatable, but that's just how I feel.

Sure, I still feel a twinge of envy whenever I see someone with a Mac, or an iPod, or an iPhone, and now an iPad, but whenever I get the money to buy a device of my own, I always end up with something without the Apple logo on it.

Like now. Still haven't fully committed myself to getting a Galaxy Tab yet, but I'm getting close. If and when I get around to really getting one, I'll let you guys know what I think of it.