I got my puny… Cheque!

I started this little experiment last year as a friend sent me a link regarding one of those “pay per click” sites on the Internet. So for every link/advertisement you click, there’s a corresponding monetary value that you would be able to withdraw after reaching the minimum payout, which in this case I set to… $10. I gave it a try. I thought giving 4 minutes of my time to check the site for some new advertisements to click wouldn’t hurt and I even put up a blog entry titled “Makes Sense.”

Anyway… fast forward to present times… I just received my first paycheck! Which I doubted would really come. But it came after 22 days… through snail mail!


Well, that’s it for this pay per click site experiment of mine… I’m planning to cash it tomorrow at a local bank. Will they cash the measly cheque? That’s the only question remaining…

Are you interested? Click here!

Late surge by Alonso

Losing the drivers’ championship last year for Alonso was heart breaking. He’s at his prime (actually…still is) and to think he’s driving a technologically advanced car like the McLaren… it’s so hard to imagine or should I say ironic that he lost his winning streak. Well, the human factor at McLaren last year failed him and though it might be a wrong move on his part, he returned to his previous team (Renault) whose car as critics would label technologically inferior.

The early and mid season races were more heart breaking for Alonso. Critics can’t be more accurate as season start predictions become a reality. But you can’t just discount him right away. Out of the blue, at the historic first ever night race in F1 history at Singapore, the all too familiar white, orange and yellow blew the competition! Everybody is awed with what happened though deep down inside happy that this once… twice F1 Drivers’ Champion finally scored a first place podium finish for 2008.

The successful Singapore GP pushed the drivers to the edge even though it’s considerably well lit compared to Le Man’s 24-hour Race. Frankly, I never expected Alonso to win it. Everybody’s saying his Renault F1 car is slow that it cannot keep up with the Ferrari’s and the McLaren’s. The only comfort I guess with the Singapore GP track that may have swayed in Renault’s favor is that it’s not a fast track with 23 turns... some bumpy. Steady drive for Alonso coupled with other drivers having problems with pit stops (Massa could have won the race if not for issues with the auto/electronic lollipop) and again the bumpy portion of the road at turns sealed the deal. So after the race blessed with no rain (which could have made the race more exciting but unsafe) thanks to modern technologies… I thought the win by Alonso was a fluke.

The Japan GP track unlike the Singaporean GP track is much faster and there are only 16 turns. Again, Alonso with his Renault is not expected to win. But then, a controversial “turn 1” resulted to a drive through penalty for Hamilton (which he deserves by the way!) and Massa incurred the same penalty after hitting Hamilton (which caused him to spun… which he deserves again!) in a later turn cost the race for both drivers. Kubica who’s a consistent podium finisher this season could have or should have won the race. But excellent strategy coupled with an inferior car that can’t do anything wrong, Alonso won for the second straight time.

Winning two races in a row is not unusual for Alonso. But really winning this season although already late because Massa, Kubica and Hamilton are the only drivers competing for the drivers’ championship is somehow a prelude of what is to come for F1. Contention of the drivers’ championship, which started last season, is no longer limited to two well-known drivers. I have to give credit to Hamilton who’s been competitive since his first year and have stirred excitement and controversies with his on and off the track antics. Next year would be more exciting for F1 as BMW, Renault together with some emerging teams as they get more competitive would be able to bring the heat to the Ferrari’s and McLaren’s. For Renault however, it would depend on Alonso should he decide… to stay.

Cooliris (formerly known as Piclens)

I don’t know what came over me but I started using Firefox 3 more recently than the latest version of Safari. One thing I really loved about Firefox is that when it offers you the option of remembering usernames, passwords and information you put in text boxes (with the corresponding site)… it does what it says the next time you access the same sites! One thing I just discovered recently is that when you visit a site and used the zoom function, the next time you visit the site it will automatically zoom at the setting similar to your last visit!

I haven’t really checked out Firefox’s myriad of plug-ins… except for some fancy themes. One night… I was about to sleep, I stumbled upon a really cool plug-in by accidentally clicking on the “Getting Started” bookmark on my bookmarks toolbar which for ages I have ignored. A couple of clicks and then I saw the “PicLens Add-on” and with a tag like “Turns your browser into a full-screen interactive experience for viewing images online.” I decided for one more mouse click. PicLens as it turned out is now known as “Cooliris” and now offers the same functionality with images to videos and more.

Having installed the plug-in and tried viewing pictures and videos online definitely changed the Internet browsing experience and I guess with Cooliris… I am stuck with Firefox… hhmmmm for now.

Cooliris Link!

Lance Armstrong comeback saga begins

I was reading a tech article from Vanity Fair online when I saw an interesting story on Lance Armstrong. Everybody knows he’s back on his bike and he’s targeting an 8th Tour de France title… and to bury once in for all, the notion that he’s not a clean rider (doping allegations).

Here is the link!
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/09/armstrong200809?currentPage=1

“I fear failure…”

“I don’t like to lose in anything. Anything.”

- Lance Armstrong -

Olympics Basketball: Ancient vs. New World

The “Redeem Team” hasn’t faced that much opposition in its first two outing though China put up a surprising early exchange of baskets way into the early parts of the second quarter in their first game.  The litmus test for the US team is Greece who beat them in the Athens Olympics in 2004, taking away America’s dominance.  And so the game, revenge time one may call it is all pumped up even before the ball was tossed at center court!

 

Greece Team

Greece is fittingly the Ancients in the game in terms of size… as if they are Titans looking down on the New World basketball gods.  Their defense is so tight… physical, but not enough… often late.  So the ball goes to fall for the US team but they usually ends up on the floor with Greece’s defense.  In terms of offense, well… they are big and again, Titans they are… move not that fast with the US team.  But I think that they’re brand of basketball is more scientific.  Most of their points were made by players moving without the ball but un-Europeanesque, their outside shooting was dismal.  And their so-called Baby Shaq was not that much of a factor in the game.

 

Redeem Team

First Quarter of the game was close, so close that I stayed glued to my chair.  The slow start was followed by a scorching/explosive second quarter that encroached the US team by a considerably large margin and marked the collapse of team Greece.  As the US team dictates the tempo of the game, impeccable defense resulted to a lot of steals and highflying poster dunks, dunks, dunks and more dunks from LeBron James and others.  Team USA on both ends of the floor displayed athletism at its finest.  Each steal was finished so quickly with highflying acrobatics as team USA unleashed the might of its Air Force.  Kobe Bryant is definitely the leader of the team.  LeBron James and Dwayne Wade were the fearless finishers as well as the numerous 3-point play of Chris Bosch.  Defense, which I think have been absent in recent years, is definitely the core of this team USA’s game.

 

The second quarter is definitely Olympics basketball at it’s best.  There were a lot of Ohhh’s and AAHHH’s from the jam-packed stadium every time team USA ran the floor and even I got in on the action even though I’m just in the confines of my lazy seat at home. 

 

Now that the stigma of losing to Greece gone, it looks like smooth sailing to me as long as they can put up a decent defense.

Controversial team USA photo... Why controversial?

My storied search for a 13” MacBook sleeve

I’ve been scouring the net for the best value for your money notebook sleeve. Though there are some that caught my attention, the only issue is whether they are available locally here in the Philippines. Thanks to the high cases of credit card hacks of the late 90’s, most international Internet sites banned us. One of my issues though in purchasing online is that you don’t get to inspect the actual product. Looking at pictures even in high resolution doesn’t quite replace the old fashioned “touch and inspect” routine.

Top Pick Sleeve
The first sleeve that I actually liked, functional at a reasonable price and highly rated at 5 out of 5 stars, unfortunately is only available through the net. My brother and sister paid dearly with their time for finding me one. And having failed to secure the sleeve is the reason details such as brand name shall never be mentioned in this blog. I used the word “shall.”

2nd Pick Sleeve
The second sleeve that I saw, not through the Internet, is the Crumpler MacBook sleeve dubbed as “School Hymn.” I was checking out some electronic gadgets in Park Square Makati when I chanced upon the “Digital Walker Store.” I was surprised that in that not so frequented corner of Park Square is a store that has this assortment of Crumpler products. I’ve seen Crumpler products before through the net and I specially liked their line of messenger bags, the only problem is that they are priced a little too high for my standards. So I was holding and checking out the Crumpler sleeve and found it to be sturdy (plastic material in between internal pads and synthetic leather outer skin) for a sleeve. As my new practice in buying branded things, I decided to compare the price on the net. The Crumpler sleeve in “avocado green” was priced at 2,050 pesos while the price on it’s official website is set at 45 USD. At that time’s exchange rate, the store’s price is reasonable and the following week, I bought one.

Since I didn’t bring my MacBook with me when I bought the sleeve, certain issues presented to me when I got home. Having spent years in the QA business and not because I’m an OC (obsessive compulsive) as my girlfriend and sister accuses me of, I placed my Macbook right away of all the other things I should have done when I got home. I noticed that it wouldn’t fit around the corners which is kind of troubling since I remember asking the sales lady if the sleeve could house a 13” or a 13.3” notebook. So I did some minor adjustments and then I was able to close the sleeve but I wasn’t satisfied. If my MacBook could only talk, it might have said, “You’re squishing me!” I asked a friend of mine if he encountered the same thing with his Crumpler sleeve and he said, it’s kind of tight since it’s new. I believed my friend at first but I decided to return the product for replacement the following week thinking I got a defective product.

My initial hunch was right. When I asked for a product replacement, which is no problem with the store, one unit of the same model but different color fitted perfectly. Basing on the design of the sleeve, there is no question that it is a good product. But what went wrong with the first sleeve I bought is caused by the way it was manufactured. Though it may have been designed in the US and before I proceed… I don’t want to generalize but it was made in China, the Variance Capital of the World. Come to think of it, that weekend I bought another item made in China and I wasn’t also satisfied. But Nike shoes made in China are still the best!

My Sleeve
Did I end up with Crumpler? The answer is no. The Crumpler sleeve available at the store that managed to live up to its specifications was old and dusty. It’s like it was used before or maybe returned by somebody like me. Luckily when I first went to the store, I saw another sleeve that has a cool graphic design but is made up of “neoprene” material. I don’t know if you call it luck but the said sleeve was still there when I returned the defective Crumpler sleeve. Though it might not give the same protection as that of the Crumpler sleeve, I decided to buy the sleeve made by “Sumdex.” It fits just right and since it’s colored black, it gave the illusion that my Macbook looks smaller... thinner like a Macbook Air (hahahahaha!). Another feature is that it has a zippered pocket in front. The zippers themselves don’t look cheap. Protective flaps present in the defective Crumpler sleeve that I suspect doesn’t work, works just fine for the Sumdex sleeve. The Sumdex sleeve is pegged at 1,250 pesos, almost half of the Crumpler brand. But unluckily this time, I am not entitled for a refund of 800 pesos. The store clerk told me I had to spend on other items. And since I don’t really need accessories, I ended up with a 950 pesos “Capdase” keyboard silicone protector which when I searched on the net turned out to be priced a little higher since it only covers the keyboard.

So for almost a year of using my Macbook, after all the scratches done by my brother (I forgive you), I now have a sleeve and a keyboard silicone protector. It’s time to go mobile!

My only concern is whether my keyboard protector has “phthalates.”

Congratulations Boston Celtics!!!

It’s kind of late for this but I have to congratulate Ray Allen first, James Posey second, Kevin Garnett third and hmmmm (sige na nga!) and lastly Paul Pierce.  What’s with the order? Later…

 

I wasn’t that much into watching NBA games this season but I try to catch up by reading the newspaper sports section everyday.  For the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, this season is the much awaited déjà vu that almost didn’t materialize if not for each ball clubs aggressive management decisions granting each whining team captains demands.  But between Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce, the latter is the better whiner by getting two additional all-star caliber players and eventually the coveted title of NBA champions.  Notice I dropped the “world champions” thing because it’s rightfully reserved for FIBA.

 

Midway through the season, I remember someone commented that it would be nice if the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers meet at the finals.  Though it came true, most analysts have predicted that the LA Lakers would come on top by analyzing game starter match-ups discounting the Celtics impeccable body in front defense and the capability of the newly dubbed Celtics’ “Big Three.”  Well, they were wrong, as basketball does not rely on one man’s capability as that of Kobe Bryant and echoing Adidas “It takes five” motto.  But what made the Celtics win over the Lakers did not mainly come from the big three and neither from the philosophy of Adidas… it took the whole team.

 

Ray Allen

Trade most on your team just to have him and you’ll be rewarded.  Getting poked in the eye early in game 6 and then finish with a record tying 7 three pointers… enough said.  He’s the only reason besides Michael Jordan for wearing those Jordan series shoes (for basketball).  Coming from a screen, hitting three’s and jumpers with nothing but the bottom of the net…. Sweet.  It’s been a long time coming Ray… but you got it this time with just the green and white.

 

James Posey

“Pesky” Posey.  Here is a player that when he’s not shooting three’s, he shuts down opposing players, break plays and body bang opposing players before and nastily even after the whistle.  I think he got that much gusto from Hubie Brown back with the Memphis Grizzlies.  I wonder where was Pau Gasol when all that physicality was being preached?

 

Kevin Garnett

I wasn’t really a fan and especially with his dismal performance at the Olympics years ago.  But the Celtic Garnett is not the same as before.  He’s hungrier this time.  Blessed with one of the purest mid-range jumper for a big man, he played as if he’s going to devour any Laker player in his path down the post.  His addition to the team seems like having more of Robert Parish and almost of a Bill Russell.  But I’d like to take a bite at his now famous before the game ritual of peanut butter jelly sandwich.

 

Paul Pierce

I’m not a fan either because he’s much like Carmelo Anthony early in his career.  Having Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I presumed changed his game.   I noticed he drives straight to the basket more than usual.  And he chooses when to unload three’s better now.  He beat Kobe Bryant on two things though, as I mentioned… on whining and the NBA championship.  Kobe…. whine some more!!!

 

Good job to other players not mentioned above… Rondo, Powe, Casselle, Brown, House, Perkins etc.

 

I just wish you return and win again next year preferably over Kobe Bryant and don’t ever do a Miami Heat… one hit wonder!

iPhone 3G Second Invasion

The long wait and with all the rumors flying around… the much anticipated release of the second generation iPhone is upon us!  And in true shock in awe fashion… the price was slashed in half at $199!!!

 

So what’s new?

 

3G

iPhone 3G owners now have a high-speed alternative in accessing the web using HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) as opposed to the previous model limited to EDGE and Wi-Fi networks.  They claim that browsing is twice as fast with the previous iPhone.

 

Maps with GPS

I watched a clip in YouTube regarding Google Android and I was impressed with their maps feature.  Not only does it display where the user is but also a friend from your contacts with address information.  It’s practically the same with iPhone 3G after watching the demo on Apple’s site but they have raised the bar by including satellite view.

 

App Store

Applications and other stuff like games are now directly available via download over the net.  No more connecting to computers for updating/loading of applications unless it’s a very large application.

 

Microsoft Exchange

This feature is targeted at corporations.  With Microsoft Exchange, iPhone 3G’s e-mail software can now communicate with corporate e-mail servers.  Watch out Blackberry!!

 

Above are just the major enhancements for the iPhone 3G plus the upcoming iPhone OS 2.0.  On the physical side, there are no noticeable changes except that it’s thinner.  Hardware side, it now sports a 2 mega pixel camera, which could have been upped a little bit.  I guess Apple is not really positioning the iPhone 3G as a replacement for digital cameras which Nokia and other mobile phone manufacturers are doing but failed to deliver.  Microprocessor used?  I guess they are still using chips from Samsung, which explains the price.

 

The iPhone 3G is pegged at $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB model.  It will be available on July 11 in 22 countries out of the 70 target countries including the Philippines.  On our shores, Globe Telecom got the rights for distribution and the good news is that they will offer the iPhone 3G for post-paid and pre-paid subscribers!!!  We just have to wait later this year… most probably, Christmas season.  

 

It’s starting to sound like mobile phone addicts are in heaven but the thing is… what about pricing.  If you go by Apple’s pricing and an exchange rate of 44 pesos to a dollar, the 8 GB iPhone would be 8,756 pesos while the 16 GB model is at 13,156 pesos.  This is mind-boggling for a mobile phone with such functions.  But it’s possible, all they have to do is order more so they get a lot of discounts from Apple.  A friend of mine from MacMall would agree on that.  I just hope Globe Telecoms stay true to their statement of 

 

“We are very excited to be working with Apple to bring Filipino consumers iPhone 3G later this year,” said Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr. president and CEO of Globe Telecom. “Our customers are our greatest passion and we’re constantly striving to offer them the most innovative products such as the revolutionary iPhone 3G.”

Another of my hopes, they should not copy the Power Mac Center (Apple reseller in Manila) formula.  For example, pricing a MacBook 37% more.  Again ordering more results to lower prices and with a product like the iPhone 3G… I’m sure stocks will not last!

 

But with all the fan fare that is about to come with the release of iPhone 3G, I am more excited with the 3^rd generation iPhone.  Word is out that Apple’s tech gods are experimenting in what is called the “self-powered” iPhone.  An iPhone that would be solar powered but still retaining the physical dimensions of present ones.  How would they pull it off is more mind-boggling!!!

 

Check out iPhone 3G Tech Specs!

The Ultimate Web Browser!

There are a lot of web browsers available free for download on the net.  Two heavy giants of not so distant past are the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.  Opera back then is an emerging browser whom I believe was first into (multi-) tab browsing.  Fast forward to present times, Internet Explorer and Opera is still up to date with Internet advancements but Netscape though still around, have already abandoned development. 

 

Today’s major contenders for the title of “The Ultimate Web Browser” are not those whom I previously mentioned.  Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari have replaced Netscape and Internet Explorer rivalry.  For my surfing pleasure, I got to have this two web browsers updated all the time. 

 

Welcome to the jungle, Safari 3!

Apple’s Safari, especially with its version 3.1.1 is the fastest web browser.  I don’t have benchmark information to show since performance would vary with regards to one’s machine makeup.  The look and user interface of Safari is hands down the simplest and yet elegantly designed.  Aside from being fast, it doubles up as a very good RSS reader and it shows in terms of “numbers in parenthesis” as heads-up, new RSS feeds on the “bookmarks bar” of a particular RSS folder.  My only issue with safari is that it somehow does not harmoniously operate with the mouse.  For example, to navigate folders in your bookmarks bar, one has to click every time just to show the contents of particular folder.  In order to tweak Safari to behave like Firefox, a separate application must be installed.

 

Zippin’ Firefox 3!

Firefox is somewhat synonymous with Internet Explorer as a dominant web browser.  A lot of Internet technologies and a lot of developers are using it as “the standard” web browser.  So when web pages don’t load properly with Safari, I turn to Firefox.  Firefox 2 is not that fast with Safari 3 and one needs to install FasterFox which is an add-on.  Then came Firefox 3, which first came in Beta version.  At first, I tried to resist the temptation of installing it upon hearing all the bugs that was reported through the net.  Eventually I gave in to the eager beaver in me and installed it a couple of weeks ago.  I was impressed at the improvements Mozilla have done.  The speed is comparatively much better and is at par or better than Safari 3.  It has retained all of its function but now sports a way cooler user interface that looks like Safari.  I got a tip though that there is an add-on that can make Firefox 3 look like Safari 3 and of course I installed the add-on.  One simple feature I like with the previous one that they have retained is the way it responds to the mouse.  Contents of bookmark folders open automatically after an initial click of other bookmark folders.  My only issue with Firefox is when it is used as an RSS feed reader and I wish it would behave like Safari.  I’m just not quite sure if there is a plug-in for it.  I think it was two nights ago when Mozilla released its Firefox 3 RC 1 version.

 

It’s really hard to find all the features there is in just one web browser.  Firefox and Safari I think are like cousins.  They complement each other in a way, like Yin and Yang.   I’m not sure if there is an actual rivalry (healthy) going on but if there is one… we are very lucky.  

 

The “Ultimate Web Browser?”  This time… there can’t be “only one.”

Which is which?

Just received my Ferrari-Shell stickers!

Though my friends around the globe received theirs ahead by two to three days… I am glad I received mine… mine… mine… har har har!!!!  Snail mail still works!!!

 

The whole set is just the size of an A4 bond paper which is a let down because the resulting individual stickers were relatively small.  I guess that’s what you get for free.  Maybe next year would be better.

Reloaded: Knight Rider

Pop quiz! What do you do when the name of your company is Ford known as one of the Big 3 in the automotive industry and suddenly lost your number 2 spot in the world market to a Japanese carmaker Toyota? 

The answer!  Simply… create a TV show that would showcase one of your successful brand names!  To ensure an immediate wide fan base… why not use the tried and tested franchise such as the Knight Rider of 80’s fame!  Actually, I never thought about it at first until I learned that GM (General Motors) is also interested in putting up a TV series using one of its cars!  I guess to ensure they’d still be number one as Toyota is closely creeping at the number 1 spot.  It sucks to be GM right now because the original car used in the old TV series is actually from them, a sexy Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

For those who have no idea what Knight Rider was in the 80’s, visit wikipedia.org.  There is a lot of information there that even I can’t believe it’s there, like for example, a list of gadgets attached to KITT complete with brief descriptions geek style!  All I can remember about the old Knight Rider is that it’s the show that catapulted David Hasselhoff to stardom before he decided to wear red shorts and started running around the beach half naked chest out (to hide his beer gut) in “Baywatch.”  Hasselhoff as Michael Knight is the first driver/crime buster driving an intelligent [artificial intelligence] Pontiac Firebird Trans Am named KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand).  Another interesting info about the series is that there is actually another car in the show dubbed as the “evil KITT” named KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot), which is actually KITT’s predecessor.  Most memorable part of the series was when KITT collided head-on against a truck and was reborn or shall I say re-engineered into a more ass-kicking car, which can do quick stops using flaps popping from all sides!

For today’s generation, KITT now stands for (Knight Industries Three Thousand).  From a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, the new KITT is a Ford Mustang modified by Shelby (Shelby GT500 KR) and fortified with nanotechnology.  That is… from sexy… to brute muscle! I enjoyed watching the pilot episode since it answered all would be questions like “Is this a continuation of the previous one? What are the relationships of the new characters from its predecessor?  Will David Hasselhoff pop-up in his red shorts?”  And in true borderless fashion, you’ll be surprised what happened to KITT's mobile base (Knight Truck)!

The new series pilot is now available for download via torrents and to some hard disk space conscious people… via streaming video. Enjoy!!!!

Free Ferrari-Shell Official Stickers!

Ferrari and Shell have been F1 partners for quite some time (or since the beginning) and for the 2008 Formula One season, they are giving away free sticker sets.  So Ferrari fans, sticker collectors, Räikkönen fans (hmmm and Massa?)… all you have to do is click the link below and register… and of course wait till they deliver it via mail… snail mail that is.

 Free Sticker Set!

My friend Jj who is a loyal fan of Ferrari sent this tip to me.  As to whether it is true, aside from the fact that it’s from an official site.  According to him, they have offered free sticker sets in the past and he was able to receive one.  But here’s the kicker… he said… “Just hope the postman does deliver it.”