Our portable LAN party solution
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 31st, 2008
The holidays are usually devoted to a lot of gaming, especially when my friends from high school fly home from the States. This is a set up of 5 portables running on a home WiFi network – two of which are Macs. The objective was to run through Diablo II: Lord of Destruction from the start and get as far as we could.
The most interesting part was installing Diablo II on two OS X machines and networking them with three other Windoze portables without having to run Parallels or BootCamp. I’ve talked about CrossOver for Mac OS X before and this is what we used to do a native install of Diablo. Original Blizzard installers are usually compatible with both Mac and PC but it was way too geeky to resist doing a native Windows run of Diablo on OS X. 
So yeah, if you’re wondering how far into the game we got … age (and carpal tunnel) dictated the best of us and we got as far as Act I, defeating Andariel.
Please don’t judge. We’re just regular geeks. 
MacHeist gives away free Mac apps this holiday season
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 29th, 2008
What? You mean you still haven’t checked out MacHeist’s latest list of freebies?! This holiday season, MacHeist is making app giveaway time more thematic by revealing free gifts underneath the Mac Giving Tree.
If you’re a Mac user, MacHeist’s giveaway for Christmas 2008 is a must have. I especially recommend 1password, Headline RSS reader and Enigmo 2 from Pangea.
Don’t forget to download the apps from the MacHeist Giving Tree to get them for free (check the serial numbers on the gift boxes)!
The Spin: Wendy’s Baconator in 3 Philippine Magazines
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 22nd, 2008This isn’t a blog about food, so when I do talk about food I approach it from a different angle. Here are some samplings of how Wendy’s latest offering – the Baconator appeals to different niches. The photos below are magazine ad pegs for three different publications: T3, Men’s Health and FHM.
Notice how the ad is essentially the same except for the take away quote on top of each Baconator. Sometimes, it isn’t about the product but with how the product can be spun into the content making it more relevant and less disconnected from the reader.
So have you tried it? It’s a killer!
Geekiest Christmas gift for me! (thus far!!)
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 18th, 2008
To my dearest friend Knox. 9 years of friendship proves how much of my geeky side rubbed off on you. Thank you for this NES Controller belt 
I will wear it with pride, just like Captain N.
Glofiish Reviews: DX900 for P29,990 and X610 for P19,990
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 17th, 2008
EDIT I:I recently published a review of the new dual faced ACER DX650 — yes Glofiish is now owned by ACER! If you bought a Glofiish device and wonder about tech support, I am told it will be honored with ACER.
EDIT II: Made a correction with the DX900 – it has a 3MP camera, not 1.3MP. The technical paper had a misprint.
Today, I’m inspired to write about a bit of history in the tech scene. Back in 2004 an obscure brand of hardware running what is now known as Windows Mobile came to the Philippines. That brand was E-TEN, and though the name in local tech has been forgotten it was one of the more brazened competitors to the O2 XDA line which was the most popular brand of “PDA Phones” during that time. Of course, O2 wasn’t a manufacturer in the strict sense, but a telco – and the XDA device was manufactured by HTC, O2′s OEM (O2 was a EU based telco that just strapped the brand onto the units). HTC grew in proportions, at least in the Philippines, overtaking E-TEN. They rebranded to DOPOD and then back to the HTC we know today, responsible for such sexy devices like the HTC Touch line.
But what happened to E-TEN (the last thing I wrote about them was with regards to the M600 Communicator)?? They became famous in the European market as they were the first to integrate GPS onto their smartphones, a MUST in the region. E-TEN made very decent phones, slightly cheaper to the O2 XDA. But they weren’t well marketed and have thus since faded locally.
…
… Until they relaunched into their new commercial brand — Glofiish. And this late December of 2008 and pushing forward to 2009, Glofiish is invading Philippine shores. I needed to give the backgrounder because not only is the history interesting, it is also a way for me to say that Glofiish isn’t at all a newbie in the mobile space. As a trump to this, ACER acquired Glofiish in March of 2008, a subtle way of saying that they will be moving into mobile phones this 2009. Watch for it!
I’ve had the privilege to break the local news (the devices are all over the Internet, but not in local cyberspace) on two “new” Glofiish devices that is, if I am not mistaken already available in the handheld market: the Glofiish DX900 and the Glofiish X610. In summary, the DX900 is a Windows Mobile 6.1 handheld that runs on dual SIM technology while the X610 is an affordable Windows Mobile 6.1 handheld at less than P20,000.00
Let’s get on with the show and tell.
Glofiish DX900 (P29,990)
The DX900 is a dual SIM Windows Mobile 6.1 device. It needs to be noted that although both SIM cards can be active, only one SIM supports HSDPA while the other can only support EDGE. This isn’t really a disadvantage in itself as usually, one telco has better data rates and connectivity than the other. In the photos, I’m running a Red Mobile SIM and a SUN Cellular SIM for illustration.
In terms of specs, the DX900 comes with all the bells and whistles of a Windows Mobile 6.1 device – WiFi, Bluetooth, 2.8 inch screen and GPS tracking. The unit is powered by a Samsung 533MHz processor and can store 128MB of RAM (256MB ROM). TV out and a built in accelerometer are added features, apart from a decent 3MP camera and secondary VGA camera in front.
In terms of real estate design, the DX900 is probably one of the best Windows Mobile devices I’ve held because the finish doesn’t oil easy. Unlike other flimsy devices that doesn’t have any sense of grip, the DX900′s outer face grips easy and isn’t “boxy.” In fact, if not for the logo, it could be mistaken for an HTC Touch device.
Glofiish X610 (P19,990)
The Glofiish X610′s strength is that is very affordable, without compromising essential features for a Windows Mobile device. In the past, WM enabled smartphones go for above the P30,000 mark, so the X610 is a rather promising device given its price point alone.
Unlike the DX900, the X610 doesn’t sport 3G connectivity. It has a 2MP camera and 64MB of RAM (128MB flash ROM).
User Interface
The DX900 and X610 both come with the SPB UI, a custom interface built into Glofiish devices in the similar way that the Sony Xperia, Samsung OMNIA and the HTC Touch line have a customized home screen over and above the default Windows Mobile Start menu. The interface supports multitouch features allowing you to flip your thumb through the screens in the same way an iPod touch / iPhone works. It isn’t as versatile, but it is nonetheless a breath of fresh air as there is almost no UI lag in the screen flipping.
Above is a shot of the X610 in “mid flip.”
Summary
The Glofiish X610 and DX900 will without a doubt appeal to fans of Windows Mobile. This platform has been around for quite sometime and has overtaken Palm by more than a mile (that is, until we see Palm 2.0?). Still, if you’ve been barricaded by the price point of most WM-based devices you can now breathe a sigh of relief as we now have a sub 20k device that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1. We also have a dual SIM option for those who want to stick to WM because of investments they made into the OS for app purchases.
As for technical support, Glofiish will have local servicing and warranties as well.
Loadmomma is the “second half” of Red Mobile: Free affiliate load sending!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 16th, 2008
The summary: Loadmomma from Red Mobile combines social media and viral marketing with a prepaid load distribution.
The cat is finally out of the bag. Several weeks ago, customer service reps from uMobile (formerly CURE) called their former subscribers hinting of a new service on the rise. A lot of bloggers caught sight of this and have speculated their thoughts. This new telco, as we now know is Red Mobile. The ads are all over Facebook and the local Internet. However, there’s more to Red Mobile than just cheaper rates.
So here we go! Introducing … Loadmomma, the second half of Red Mobile and what seems to be the key missing piece. Loadmomma is a social phenomenon that challenges the way we send out load. Instead of buying load – why not earn it from other Red Mobile subscribers via a social network platform? Of course, you can always buy credits!
Quoted from the FAQ:
Anyone can be a part of the red mobile online community. All you have to do is log on to www.loadmomma.com, register your personal details and recruit as many of your friends to join the load momma community. As the referror, you will be considered the “load momma.” Make sure that your friends all register—each successful referral means that you can get P10 worth of red mobile prepaid credits, which is equal to 20 minutes worth of voice calls or 20 text messages (red mobile to red mobile). [source]
A strong social network component?
Interesting as well – the account management page lets you add friends in your email address books and social networks as well (see above). Under your account management page, you can send messages, view your friends (yes, Load Momma also has profile pages like social networks) and check your load statistics. There’s also a referral link which you can use to display on your blog for load affiliate credits.
And yeah – based on the menagerie of alerts you can customize above, it IS a social network and you can even customize the CSS for your profile page.
In other words, what we’re looking at is potentially free load depending on the number of friends we recruit on a daily basis (not yet sure how this works in practice but nonetheless worth a try!). So yeah, it’s not only cheaper than 24/7 Unlimited, the long term costs are cheaper as well with its current rates. I guess this is why they have the “It’s better than unlimited” tag line on the web page.
[Disclosed: BlogBank, a company I own, is running the Loadmomma campaign across its network]
TORQUE C100 Review: Bluetooth and camera for P2,199
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 12th, 2008
EDIT: If you’re looking for more TORQUE products, check out the cheapest dual SIM phone in the market, the TORQUE D100.
There’s a different philosophy behind reviewing entry level phones – more than features, people tend to look at price, but with the way the mobile phone market is becoming more and more sophisticated, even low end phones have to be distinguished by some creative features. Today, I have a brand new TORQUE straight from the box. The TORQUE C100 is the China made entry level phone that has been out for a few days in your favorite mobile phone flea market. Read on for my hands on.
(more…)
Nokia E63 retails for P14,200 in the Philippines
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 12th, 2008
A few weeks ago I won a Nokia N79 from a raffle from Nokia. Having really wanted the semi-brand new E71 in its stead, I bargained for a swap since the latter was a tad cheaper in price mainly due to an earlier release date. The E71 is a fantastic QWERTY business device and my one and I guess biggest complaint is the dropping of support for BlackBerry Connect. If this is a software issue, I hope Nokia can release a firmware upgrade in the future so it can support both Intellisync and BlackBerry Connect.
A few weeks after the E71′s release, Nokia announces a lower end enterprise phone – the Nokia E63 which is basically the same in most respects except for its slightly less conservative form factor. As seen above, the Nokia E63 resembles much of the E71 and is in fact cheaper by a mile – only P14,200 whereas the E71 retails between P19,500 to P22,000. The main difference between the two is really more on the form factor and “lower end” 2.0MP camera – which is really relative as the E71 comes with a 3.2MP camera.
Who said cheaper meant worse specs? The E63 comes with support for 3.5mm headsets while my E71 supports 2.5mm connectivity – I’d need to use an adapter to use regular earphones. Bluetooth, WiFi, Share on Ovi, a really good browser, and fast UI make this phone a definite winner if you don’t need HSDPA! More specs available here.
The Nokia E63 is available NOW for only P14,200. This is the most affordable mass market enterprise level phone of Nokia and I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t consider it for Christmas.
“Flowers from the Rubble”
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 10th, 2008
I can’t help but be sentimental as its nearing the end of the year. And today I’d like to talk about remembering your roots.
The best TV appearance I ever made was in a recent show of a friend whom I met at the UA&P. His name is John D Borra and aside from running a huge events place and blogging at Flowers from the Rubble, he moonlights as a host for an engaging talk show called Juan on Juan (Zoe TV). The 50 live minutes struck a chord as it was a pretty defining moment to have two old friends together in front of the camera. The guy in the middle is Jason de Villa, current editor in chief of Mobile Philippines and someone who I’ve worked with in many ways since 2003. It was during the first 5 minutes of the running camera that I realized how Jason paved the way for John D’s teaching career and my career as well in the glossies. We discussed, in cramped length the joys of traditional and new media all having been involved in both for the past 5 years (Jason appeared in the front page of Digg recently).
And it is with that where I borrow John D’s blog title for this post. I think that being in the media for the better part of my youth allowed me to be more sentimental about career. It was in an animated series – I honestly forgot what it was, pardon me – where the protagonist’s mentor told him to never forget your roots in times of doubt. And, I guess it is with those same roots that established writing that is fearlessly fair, and loving what you do. Love is defined as the selfless gift of self (or “the gift of self giving”), and loving what you do as a blogger means more than just writing a post, but mastering your niche.
When I go back to my roots as a blogger, the answer to many important questions becomes more apparent.
I hope it is for you too! Welcome to the Christmas season!
[photo c/o Phoebe | my tummy c/o Cheetos]
Unboxing Crumpler Loo Roll with Road Test: Two thumbs up!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 7th, 2008
As a niche leader in comfortable bags, Crumpler also produces some of the most bizzare schwag. Thanks to the generosity of Charlie Paw at last night’s PhilMUG party we have the chance to do an official unboxing and and first impression run of the Loo Roll, Crumpler’s tissue roll that doubles as a paint by number coloring pad.
In depth review after the break.
PhilMUG 2008 Christmas Party Photo Overload!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 7th, 2008
In the tradition of PhilMUG Christmas parties, there are always more prizes to be raffled than guests! Everyone went home with something – alongside TuneCard gifts, iCreate magazines and Crumpler mini matches and Loo Rolls! I raffled off five Defactory pouches (made to fit an iPod) and a BodyGuardz iPod touch protector.
A huge thanks to Charlie Paw who also just opened Digital Walker Zoom in Greenbelt 5. The current best seller is the Panasonic Lumix LX3 which retails for about P25,000.00 with accessories!
Here’s a chronological timeline of the photos from preparation to party, after the break! Click to enlarge!
