Geek is Cool

Intel Fakes CES 2012 Ultrabook Demo

2012-01-16T04:28:00.000-08:00

Intel faked a demo of their Ivy Bridge processor's graphics capabilities by using VLC instead of actually running the game F1 2011.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

2011-06-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Nokia used to be the king of the hill of mobile phones. But, not anymore. While Apple have been pushing with various enhancements for the iPhone 4 and gearing up to introduce the fifth iteration of the best-selling smartphone, and Google and company have been thinking of putting quad-core processors on Android phones, Nokia seems to be fighting for the low-end crown.

The newest model it is introducing in the Philippines - a candybar called X1-01 - is the case of point. The new phone's best features? Dual SIM and MP3 playback.

Didn't myPhone and Cherry introduced that years ago?

WordStar Airport

2011-04-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

I flew in from Singapore this morning, and this is what I came across in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 arrival area: a working, green monochrome monitor, still in use at the paging booth.

iPad Unboxing

2010-12-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

The iPad is now available in the Philippines, with prices starting at PhP 23,990 (for the 16 Gb WiFi-only model).

I got one for myself (I got the 16Gb 3G+WiFi model), and here are the unboxing pix:

The free micro-SIM for pre-paid 3G connection, provided by Globe.

USB cable and the 10-watt adapter. The iPad cannot recharge from the USB cable attached to a computer.

I will post my review/impressions on the new device next.

Chrome Web Store

2010-12-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

Google's Chrome Web Store is now live. The web-based online app store, similar to the apps store found in iTunes, features cloud-based apps, extensions and themes that you "install" in your Chrome browser (version 8).

The storefront is arranged in a grid, with a sidebar on the right featuring the Top Paid and Staff Picks. On the left hand side are the categories, classifying apps into groups such as Games, Utilities, Entertainment, etc.

Among the (free) apps that I installed so far are Plants vs. Zombies, The Onion New Network, and Aviary image editing app. The installed apps are accessible to the home page when you open a new tab in Chrome.

This Changes Everything...

2010-06-28T02:16:00.000-07:00

...including how you hold your phone.

The iPhone 4's apparent reception seems to decrease when you hold the phone in your hands (around the antennas). Steve Jobs says "don't hold it that way"

Gadget Review: Eton Microlink FR160

2010-06-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

I'm a self-confessed gadget enthusiast, with a bit of survivalist streak on the side too. So when I saw this gadget at RadioShack I know I have to have it. It would come handy during camping trips, and as an addition to disaster preparedness as well (as the typhoon season is fast approaching).

The Eton Microlink FR160, co-branded by the American Red Cross, is a self powered AM/FM radio. It is capable to receive NOAA weather band in 7 channels. It also comes with a LED flashlight, a USB cell phone charger, and an earphone jack.

What's good is that the 241-gram unit is powered in 2 ways, via solar power through its built-in solar cells, or through a hand-cranked generator. Leaving the unit out for 8-10 hours under the sun would generate enough juice to keep the radio playing for 3-5 hours. Using the hand crank for 90 second would charge the unit to keep it playing for 30-40 minutes.

The hand crank can also be used to recharge MP3 players or cell phones, via the USB charger. Ten to 15 minutes of cranking would equate to one or more minutes of talk time.

The Eton FR160 is also available in Amazon.com for $30.

Google Doodle

2010-06-12T01:58:00.000-07:00

The Google doodle at google.com.ph shows the Philippine flag, to commemorate the 112th Independence Day of the Philippines.

Toy Store

2010-05-30T11:36:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to visit New York last weekend, and one of the places that I went to is the Apple Store.

The flagship Apple Store in Fifth Avenue New York is a destination in itself. The iconic store has a glass facade that opens to a glass staircase and elevator that whisks customers to the below-ground shop, where they can try the latest electronic gizmos, such as the iPhone and iPad, which I was able to play with.

WiMAX is Here

2010-03-10T01:20:00.001-08:00

WiMAX is ready for prime time in the Philippines. A new service provider, wi-tribe, is offering 4G internet connectivity using WiMax.

I spotted the modem - a Motorola model - that they will use for the service in a booth they set up just in front of Avida Tower New Manila. A 1 mbps connection will set you PhP 998 a month (24-month subscription).

A Great Find

2010-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

While browsing for DVDs in Astrovision (Shangri-La Mall) I stumbled upon this classic anime film, Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis. What's great is that I got it 50% off, for only 149.50 pesos!

Why I Love Google Chrome

2009-12-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

cool ads!

Olympus EP-1

2009-12-04T03:35:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased a camera - an Olympus Pen EP-1 Micro-four thirds in Broadway, a popular electronics store in Hong Kong. For a price of HK$6,740, the bundle includes the body, a 14-42mm lens, an 8-gig SDHC card, a tripod, a LowePro bag and and Adidas bag as a freebie.

The camera's main attraction, aside from its oh-so-cool retro styling, is its micro four-thirds format. It uses a sensor similar to a DSLR but it doesn't have a prism inside, hence the size is compact-ish and svelte.

The EP-1 has an effective 12 megapixel resolution.

A more thorough review can be found here

Iron Man II

2009-10-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

got these pics from Facebook, movie is out 2010

Mobile Phone for 999?

2009-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this at Mindpro mall in Zamboanga City - a basic Cherry mobile phone for 999 pesos. The phone, despite its blah design (looks like a cheapo calculator) and three-liner LCD display - could come handy as an emergency phone that could be stashed in your survival kit.

If Microsoft Redesigns the iPod Packaging

2009-10-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

funny, but dead on

Disaster Relief in Manila

2009-09-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some important info for disaster relief/rescue for Metro Manila:

National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Emergency Numbers: 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061, 912-5296, 911-1873

RED CROSS: 0917-899-7898 and 0938-442697

Send relief goods to Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no. 5639298/5639308) or Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40). We are still identifying other drop ...off by points... for relief goods which we will post soon. Goods required are: Canned food, rice, used clothes especially for children, milk...

ATI Eyefinity Debut | 3D Gaming at 5760x2400

2009-09-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

In this demonstration AMD's Simon Solotko demonstrates Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. gameplay at 5760x2400 resolutions on six monitors, ostensibly using the new Radeon 5800 series video card.

iPod nano Gains a Camera

2009-09-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Apple unveiled the new iPod nano, which gained a VGA camera, an FM receiver, and a pedometer.

Pixi Dust

2009-09-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

Palm just unveiled its newest smartphone, the Pixi, aimed at younger buyers. The Pixi has 8 gigs of storage, a full exposed keyboard, and runs on WebOS, just like the Pre.

NYT

Video Ads... in Magazines?

2009-08-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

CBS embeds a video player inside a magazine to play ads.

PS3 Slim Out September 1

2009-08-18T12:18:00.001-07:00

Sony will release the improved PS3 Slim, available everywhere on September 1. The new console - 32% smaller and uses 34% less power than the fat model - will have a 120-gig hard drive and retails for $300.

Watchmen Blu-Ray + PS3 Game

2009-08-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

I got this from DataBlitz today, a Watchmen Blu-ray movie and PS3 game combo, for PhP 2495. It includes a 2 discs (one movie and one game), a poster, instruction manual and a Watchmen comic timeline.

Good thing tomorrow's a holiday :)

G.I. Joe 3G Kit

2009-07-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Globe Telecoms is selling limited edition G.I. Joe-themed 3G USB modems. The prepaid kits, part of their Tattoo line, sells for PhP 1895 each.

Robot Musician

2009-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

A robot playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle' on piano, at Shanghai Science & Technology Museum

Shanghai Science & Technology Museum

2009-07-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

I visited the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum last week, together with some colleague from UP Astronomical Society. I particularly enjoyed the World of Robots exhibit, as well as the section about Space Navigation.

pics, from top: piano-playing robot, the IMAX theater, facade of the museum

Making the Switch

2009-07-14T02:35:00.001-07:00

I finally did it. After another incident of malware infection, I decided to switch from Windows to Mac. I got myself a Mac mini with a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, with 2 gigs of RAM and 320 gigabytes of storage space.

And so far, I am loving my Mac. Runs fast, and the OS X Leopard is just amazing. BOINC has a Mac version too, so I can still crunch numbers for SETI@Home et al. The mini needs anHDMI out though, and dual-screen out.

I still plan to get a Windows machine in the future, an AMD Phenom II quad most likely.

2009 Total Solar Eclipse

2009-07-13T01:05:00.001-07:00

The UP Astronomical Society will send an expedition to Shanghai (which I am part of) to witness and document the rare event. The eclipse is on July 22, 2009, and the totality will occur at 9:43 am.

The team site is here.

(Slides from the lecture on the 2009 Total Solar eclipse given by UP Astronomical Society alumni Bamm Gabriana.)

Metal Gear Solid iPhone Covers

2009-07-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Found these in Trinoma Mall, a place called Digital Walker: Metal Gear Solid iPhone covers, at PhP 2500 each.

iPhone 3GS: Underwhelming

2009-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

I must admit, the new iteration of the iPhone, the 3GS is a bit of a disappointment for me. I mean, seriously, 3 megapixel camera? Samsung is already pushing 8MP.

It's good that the new phone also supports high tech features now, such as MMS, cut and paste and it has a compass!

On a related note, I saw the Globe logo during the WWDC, so does this mean the local carrier is one of the first to support these new features? Also, the version 3.0 of the iPhone OS will be available a week from now.

Palm Pre Comes in June 6

2009-05-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's final. Palm Pre, the much-vaunted smart phone from Palm, will go on sale in the US on June 6.

Missile Silo for Sale

2009-04-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

an abandoned ICBM missile silo has been put up for sale in America

Upcoming AMD Video Cards

2009-04-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

AMD is on the verge of releasing new graphics cards in the next few weeks, hot in the heels of its introduction of a higher performing mid-range card, the HD4890.

The new cards will be based on 40-nm process: the RV740, which will have 826 million transistors, 640 stream processors, 188-bit interface and GDDR5 memory. The cards are expected to be priced in $99 range.

New Gmail Features

2009-04-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

Gmail, which celebrated its fifth year last April 1, added new features: the ability to display the sender's time zone info in message headers, including the sender's current local time. Gmail can also show icons that depict the sender's availability.

According the Gmail blog, red and green phone icons indicate that the sender may be asleep/out of the office (between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm in the sender's local time zone) or available.

Skype for iPhone

2009-03-31T13:25:00.001-07:00

Now available for download from the iTunes Apps Store

PS2 Now $99

2009-03-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sony cut the price of its previous generation console, PlayStation 2, to $99, starting April 1.

Sony sold 136 million PS2 consoles since 2000.

3rd Gen Shuffle

2009-03-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

The smallest iPod yet, the 3rd gen Shuffle is a wonder in industrial design. About half the volume of the previous Shuffle, this one packs 4 gigs of memory for the song. I'm still partial about the controls, which were located at the earphone cord, but I'd definitely have this one.

It's 4,190 pesos in Apple online store

New Mac Mini

2009-03-03T05:40:00.000-08:00

Apple has just rolled out new Mac minis:

Specs:

2.0 GHz Core 2 procs

120 or 320 gig drive

Nvidia 9400 graphics

iLife included

update: available in Apple Store Philippines for PhP 33,900 - 44,990.

Epic Fail

2009-02-19T23:03:00.000-08:00

Facebook Blinks

2009-02-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

Facebook, facing a bruhaha over its new terms of service, is reverting to the old ToS to "sort" things out.

PAF Aircraft at Clark Field

2009-02-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

Philippine Air Force displayed some of its aircraft and weapons at Clark Field, during the Hot Air Balloon Festival last Feb 14.

from top: an F5 pilot, F-5 Freedom Fighter, Sidewinder missile, an Aermachi AS211, helmets resting on the wing of an AS211

An 'Aww' Moment

2009-02-10T23:42:00.000-08:00

Firefighter giving a bewildered koala - caught in a bushfire in Australia - a drink

Third World Countries will Get Crippled Win7

2009-02-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

Poor Third World countries (euphemistically labeled 'emerging markets') will get a crippled version of Windows 7, aka improved Vista. The Windows 7 Home Basic for emerging markets has no Aero UI.

Microsoft will also sell Windows 7 Starter - another crippled version that can only run an astounding THREE concurrent applications! So what, you can only run Notepad + Paint + Calculator, and will get a BSOD if you open MineSweeper?

I won't be surprised if 3rd world people will opt for the pirated versions of the Win 7 Ultimate instead of this trash.

Possible Replacements for my iPhone

2009-01-27T22:11:00.001-08:00

I love my iPhone but there are some new models coming out in the next few months that I would love to get my gadget-freak paws on: the Palm Pre (bottom) and the Android-based General Mobile Sharp DSTL1 (top).

Phenom II at 6.5 GHz

2009-01-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

A group of overclockers managed to upped the AMD Phenom II 940 processor to 6.5 GHz, using liquid helium. They were able to set a record score of 45,474 for 3DMark05.

Take that, i7!

Outlander Trailer

2009-01-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

I want to watch this upcoming flick - alien vs. Viking movie starring James Caviezel.

Remember when...

2009-01-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

hard disk drives only have 15 megabytes capacity?

via Oobject

AMD Phenom II is Here

2009-01-07T23:29:00.000-08:00

Advanced Micro Devices officially releases its new 45-nm processors called Phenom II, which ran at 2.8 and 3.0 GHz.

I am waiting for this proc to be released here in the Philippines, as I would be upgrading my system with this CPU (yep, I only need to replace the CPU and nothing more.)

Tom's Hardware has a review here.

Bashing NVDIA's Re-brands

2009-01-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

NVDIA is rebranding its old G92 chips, and this video has a funny take on it.

via Fudzilla

Google as Spam?

2008-12-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

Gmail seems to think emails coming from the Google Affiliate Network are spam and potentially dangerous, as the pic above suggests.

Metal Gear Solid Coming to iPhone/Touch

2008-12-17T03:31:00.000-08:00

Konami will release a version of the Metal Gear Solid game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Silent Hill and the classic arcade game Frogger will also be released for the Apple gizmos.

Sock and Awe

2008-12-17T00:22:00.000-08:00

Cashing in the Bush Shoe Throwing incident, a British outfit has a new online game called Sock and Awe, where players try to knock the president with a, what else, a shoe.

try it folks!

Nobel Peace Prize Winner, for me

2008-12-16T23:57:00.000-08:00

The Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at Dubya should be honored a Nobel Peace Prize for telling the president what the world really thinks about him.

SM North EDSA - 3rd largest in the world

2008-12-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

The SM North EDSA mall is now the third largest in the world after it was expanded from its previous size - now at 4.5 million square feet - and larger than the SM Mall of Asia, previously the largest in the Philippines and 3rd largest in the world.

Three malls in the Philippines are in the top ten:

• South China Mall in Dongguan, China

• Jin Yuan in Beijing

• SM City North in Quezon City, the Philippines

• SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the Philippines

• Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates

• West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada

• SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, the Philippines

Cevahir Istanbul in Turkey

•Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur

•Beijing Mall in Beijing.

SM Cebu is the 11th largest in the world.

more here and here

Sony-Ericsson Xperia X1

2008-12-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

Available at Megamall Cyberzone for PhP 40,000

Mooning Santa

2008-12-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

This décor should brighten up the holidays, available at Toy Kingdom

Nehalem Has TLB Bug

2008-12-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Intel's Core i7 processor has Translation Lookaside Buffer bug.

more here

Neo Explore @ 9000 pesos

2008-11-28T02:52:00.000-08:00

The original Intel's answer to the OLPC, selling for 9000 pesos in Megamall

Bejewelled 2 for iPhone

2008-11-26T00:09:00.000-08:00

I got Bejewelled 2 from iTunes store for $2.99. This is one of my fave casual games, been playing it since I had my Palm m100 PDA.

New MRT Card

2008-11-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

A new contactless reloadable card for MRT is available now. I've seen them being sold in several stations for 50 pesos (with a free KitKat bar and 35 pesos load). I got one but it's buggy. Mine refused to let me out and I have to pay at the counter. After arguing with their rep I got a replacement card. Stick to your stored-value cards folks.

AMD Phenom II Can Hit 6 GHz!

2008-11-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

It seems AMD is doing the right things lately - first with the Radeon 4000 series GPUs, then the Shanghai server chips, and - now, with the Deneb desktop processors.

The new procs - to be known as Phenom II - reportedly can be overclocked to 4 GHz using air cooling and AMD's stock fan. It can go to about 5 GHz using water-cooling, and get this - 6 GHz using liquid nitrogen.

The new procs will be formally introduced in January 9, at CES.

Themes in Gmail

2008-11-19T23:07:00.001-08:00

You can now personalize your Gmail by using themes, found at the Themes tab in Settings

Special Edition Dark Knight DVD

2008-11-17T01:48:00.000-08:00

I reserved my special edition Dark Knight DVD at Astrovision just
today. It comes with a scale-model Batpod (2750 pesos), and will be
released on Dec. 8. Another version comes with a Batmask (1550 pesos).

Android G1

2008-11-16T02:43:00.000-08:00

Seen at Megamall Cyberzone, at Infomax: HTC G1, at 42,500 pesos

Manila Ocean Park

2008-11-15T07:33:00.001-08:00

The tunnel through the aquarium in Manila Ocean Park is really cool

Atheists Feels Left Out During the Holidays

2008-11-13T23:33:00.000-08:00

Atheists in the US are playing Grinch by putting up ads that want to undermine Christmas as a Christian holiday.

The ads - presented in billboards in buses - have captions like "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake."

According to the spokesperson of the American Humanist Association, they are putting up the ads because "an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of nontheists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion."

I really find this stupid. Can't they see the first six letters of the word CHRISTMAS? What are they complaining about then?

AdFreak

Phenom 2 Coming in January

2008-11-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Phenom II is the official name of AMD's new 45-nm desktop chips (codenamed Deneb). It will be launched in January at CES in Las Vegas.

It follows the launching of its server sibling, the Shanghai Opteron. The new chips will support DDR2 and DDR3 memory, and will have 8 mb of cache (2mb L2, 6 mb L3).

AMD's Shanghai is Here

2008-11-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

Advanced Micro Devices will launch the 45-nm 'Shanghai' quad-core processor - offering 35% increase in performance while using 35% less energy.

The server chips comes with up to 2.7 GHz speed and 75-watt thermal envelope.

more here and here.

Facebook Scam

2008-11-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

I got a wall post in my Facebook recently, informing me that my pic got featured in a website somewhere. It reads:

"did u know ur facebook pic was just featured on somethingsomething.com"

If you got one too, please ignore it, it's a scam to harvest email addresses done by Chinese spammers.

Guardian.co.uk

Just the Necessary Ones then...

2008-11-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

Seen at a Starbucks comfort room

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Saw this humongous movie poster of Keannu Reeves' The Day the Earth Stood Still, at Mall of Asia last Saturday. One movie to look forward to this December.

Quantum of Solace

2008-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

I watched the 22nd James Bond pic Quantum of Solace last weekend, and I'm liking what they did to the franchise - gritty, fast-paced, no effete histrionics of previous Bond Pierce Brosnan. The schemes of the villains are not hair-brained like those of Gustav Graves, and no silly high-tech gadgets as plot devices.

Apple Online Store is Now in the Philippines

2008-11-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

The official online Apple store is now in the Philippines, here.

AFP to Fund Robot Development

2008-11-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is said to finance the development of an anti-terrorist robot, dubbed 'MAC.'

AFP will give 1.7 million pesos to the team from Mapua Institute of Technology, which hopes to have the battery-powered robot mass produced at 100,000 pesos per unit.

The prototype MAC robot was entered and won first place at the First World Cup on Computer Implemented Inventions in China.

INQ

Go Green

2008-11-03T02:36:00.000-08:00

Incredible Hulk action figures @ Megamall A

Ironman Action Figures

2008-11-03T02:29:00.000-08:00

On display at Megamall

World's Ugliest Buildings

2008-11-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

CNN has a list of the world's ugliest buildings. I.M. Pei's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland (above). is no. 2.

Hit up the link for complete list

Cheapest Nettop

2008-11-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

This is the cheapest nettop I've seen so far: Blue H1 at 9,995 pesos. It has a Via C7 proc, 1 gig RAM, 40gig harddrive and a 7-inch screen

Neo Explore x2

2008-11-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

Intel's answer to OLPC, available for about 15,000 pesos at Greenhills

Gigabyte Nettop/Tablet

2008-11-02T01:54:00.000-08:00

Asus eee @ 12.5k

2008-11-02T01:52:00.000-08:00

Seen at Greenhills: Asus eee at 12,500 pesos, almost half of what it
costs 3 months ago

Solar-powered Bat Spy Plane

2008-11-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is something the Dark Knight would have in his arsenal - a solar-powered micro spy plane that looks like a bat. Its lithium batteries are powered by solar, wind and vibration energy.

The plane is currently being developed for the US Army by University of Michigan's newly created Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology.

Inhabitat

Vinni Puh

2008-10-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Ruskie version of Winnie the Pooh. Better than the Disney version

Prove 5 x 14 = 25

2008-10-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

Osama Twitters

2008-10-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

The US intelligence officials reckon that terrorists might use microblogging site Twitter to coordinate attacks.

I suppose Osama has net access in his cave somewhere in god-forsaken Afghanistan and would be updating his minions with his blood-thirsty drivel with 160-character tweets.

me on Twitter

Sinag, Philippines' First Solar Car

2008-10-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Displayed at the Consumer Electronics Live! is Philippines' first solar car, dubbed Sinag (ray). It is the country's first entry to the World Solar Challenge.

Consumer Electronics Live! at SMX

2008-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Giant LCD Tv of Panasonic
Mercedes-Benz SLK at T3 booth
Sony VAIO laptop with Blu-Ray drive
Philippines' first solar car, Sinag
Even Clear Shampoo's got a booth
Canon EOS
Nokia's booth
GPS navigation for Philippines, at BMW
BMW/Certina booth
Canon's booth

I went to the Consumer Electronics Live! at Mall of Asia's SMX convention center this Sunday, and I'd say the eye candies featured there made my mouth water.

Seen in Cyberzone, Megamall

2008-10-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

I saw these in Cyberzone, in SM Megamall: (top) the new MacBook Pro, Apple's newest laptop, with unibody construction, machined from a solid block of aluminum; and yet another net top, an Atom-powered Neo Vivid, sold for only PhP 22,999 ($470).

Apple Flavored Kool-Aid

2008-10-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

I drank another shot of Apple-flavored Kool-Aid to get under Steve Job's reality distortion field. I upgraded my existing Globe phone plan to a new one with 40 hrs of 3G access, and got an iPhone for PhP 15,100 (the prepaid one costs 42 thousand pesos).

Here's some pics of the unboxing, how it measures up with the iPod Touch, the vintage game Pac-Man in iPhone, and the Facebook app.

Calming Teas

2008-10-21T00:28:00.001-07:00

This Apple Mac ad cracks me up

Personal Rapid Transit System

2008-10-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Manila should have this:

ULTra is a battery-driven, 100-mpg-equivalent, elevated personal rapid transit system with many four-person vehicles. The first deployment is scheduled for London Heathrow Airport in Spring 2009, which serves Heathrow's new Terminal 5.

Working as circulator transit for office parks, airports, universities, and other major activity centers, ULTra is faster than a car. In these applications, ULTra makes carpooling and conventional transit more effective, by solving the "last mile problem."

http://www.atsltd.co.uk, via Wired

Think You're Poor?

2008-10-15T01:32:00.000-07:00

Think again. Head to Global Rich List and see how you rank globally.

Hey, being 695 millionth richest in the world doesn't feel so bad, doesn't it?

F-35B in VTOL Flight

2008-10-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

An F-35B Lightning II in vertical takeoff and landing

RHex Robot

2008-10-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

nice to have...an all-terrain robot. Makes the Roomba looks effet.

Apple & Steve Jobs Becoming Douchebags

2008-10-07T04:29:00.001-07:00

Apple sued a Canadian school for using an apple as a logo. I like Apple products and all but this is ridiculous.

Who are you gonna sue next, Washington Apple?

Upgrading my PC

2008-10-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

I began the piece-by-piece upgrade of my desktop computer. Currently I am using an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor, with 1 gig of Geil RAM, an MSI mobo that comes with an NVIDIA chipset, and 2 hard drives totalling 750 gigs of space.

I will initially replace the motherboard (the old one conked out last weekend) with an EMAXX one with an AMD 780G chipset. The new Am2+ mobo looks good in specs: SB700 southbridge, ATI Radeon 3200 integrated graphics, 64 mb of SidePort memory, gigabit LAN, DX10 and DVI and HDMI outputs. Two gigs of Geil DDR2 800 should go into this too.

Next step would be the processor. I intend to replace my current one with an AMD Phenom quad core processor, probably a 9750. After that, a new video card (I had my eye on an ATIRadeon 4670, maybe a 4850 if my Adsense earnings would allow it ;P), and a new case and LCD monitor.

AMD to Split into 2

2008-10-07T00:33:00.001-07:00

Advanced Micro Devices will spin off its fabs into a separate company called Foundry, which it will have 45% stake. AMD will become a chip design company, and the new company will manufacture the chips.

more

iPod Skins

2008-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

There's a cool way to protect your iPod's - Gela Skins - vinyl stickers that you apply on the back of an iPod touch (and the front for older iPods). The sticker themselves are printed with artwork, ranging from Munch to Dave White.

It's availabe in Fully Booked for about 600 pesos.

Toyota FJ Cruiser

2008-09-30T09:51:00.001-07:00

Seen near South SuperHighway last Sunday: a Toyota FJ Cruiser

Hollywood and Computers

2008-09-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Cracked.com has a funny take on Hollywood's tendency to misuse computers as plot devices, like hacking a traffic light or stealing 9.5 billions dollars using a laptop.

How do you say 'suspension of disbelief' in C++?