Year: 2007

Ok ok I’ll talk about the iPhone

Is it possible for someone to get sick of a product a few days after its announced, six months before it goes on retail, and a whole year (or so) before it’s available in Asia?

I mean, everywhere you go, it’s [tag]iPhone[/tag] this, iPhone that. On Google News, PWIT, Inq7 (oops ok that’s ‘inquirer.net’ now), all the local blogs and there’s even one in moderation queue at Kikay Exchange by one of the contributors. I talked about it both at my client’s office yesterday, and even with basketball buddies at our game last night. Talk about getting in the news, Jobs is a news – hogging God, but it’s not like we didn’t know that already.

Ok, here’s the things that kind of jumped out at me the first time I read its specs – which is pretty much what everybody else in the whole world can only do since like I said, it ain’t around yet and won’t be for a while.

Continue reading Ok ok I’ll talk about the iPhone

How much is slow costing us?

Yes I’m still talking about the Taiwan earthquake and resultant Internet mess. And the fact I am still on it means I am starting to get angry. And if you deduce that when I say I am starting to get angry it means I will huff and puff but do nothing but write on my blog pounding my keyboard a little harder, then you are correct-a-mondo.

At any rate, I had been invited by Hingemedia super head chief editor gadget head in, err, chief Adel to contri to P.W.I.T., (Philippine Week in Technology), the resulting acronym possibly recognizant of how he feels about it, but more likely because he thinks it sounds fun. A fun and intelligent man, Adel is. And surprisingly athletic! When we were in Tagaytay we caught MS Windows PM Chay Saputil smiling and enjoying an m|ph issue and I swear I’d never seen a man run, flip open his Canon 400d, get down on his knees and take a magazine worthy snap in, oh, that must have been .5 seconds! Amazing.

So anyway, let me take you to his post in PWIT, where he describes in light detail how affected they are at the office. Here he says:

Continue reading How much is slow costing us?

Article Repost: Things To Know About Microsoft Windows Vista

I regret the fact I didn’t write about how slow the ‘net was gonna be when I was writing my article about tech in 2007. I wrote it about the time the Taiwan earthquake happened and it was easy to see it was gonna kick us in the ass like it is now, as I wrote earlier. Incidentally I also regret not mentioning [tag]Alyssa Alano[/tag] in the ‘Year that was in Tech’ article, whom imo singlehandedly promoted YouTube to the masa via her manhandling of end make d parflays dance sylvimousse is barkley, so keys me. I mean, it’s even a consistent amongst my top posts, so how could I had possibly missed that??? Arrg.

Anyway, below is another article that came out today, re Vista. I’m still waiting for a promised test laptop (no, not a free one), which I gather is being upgraded to handle it better (the ones we tried in Tagaytay were rather inadequate), along with an interesting presentation that by Ivan Franco, MS Consumer Marketing Manager, re customer buying habits. I can probably make ten articles alone from his findings, so I’m raring to get my hands on that.

Continue reading Article Repost: Things To Know About Microsoft Windows Vista

The Quarter Pounder that Blogging Bought

Ok so I’m really not into showing off, ok? But that seems to be the standard, mature thing to do if you earn from your blog. And so, I’ve decided it’s time to pamper myself a little, and when I say pamper, I’m talking ‘Go Big Time‘, baby.

all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese..

Continue reading The Quarter Pounder that Blogging Bought

I’m going to sue PLDT

For not having a backup system in place to prepare for situations like the Taiwan earthquake, no matter how rare these might be.

For not finding an alternative means of reliable internet connectivity during said time period.

For losses incurred by my internet – reliant business during period, both for present and future activities.

For relying their long distance and internet business on underground cables that connect to a country that is known to lie on an earthquake fault.

Should I be billed my full PLDT DSL bill during said period, and not given a discount or rebate, whether I ask for one or not, I will sue them for this as well.

Continue reading I’m going to sue PLDT

Informatics Galleria T-TH 6-9PM, and the seat of my pants

And just like that, I am now a Part Time Trainor again at Informatics Galleria. I decided to inquire about openings on Wednesday two days ago while on a lunch break with Ge, found time to submit a resume that evening, and by yesterday was signing a contract to teach Basic Photoshop for 15 hours at the aforementioned time and dates.

I think what I was thinking was: 6-9PM is the absolute worst time to get a ride home from Galleria to Cainta. By 9pm the traffic would’ve cleared, and since I have to go to my client there from time to time, I figured it’s time well spent. Besides, I did enjoy the teaching gig a few years ago, and [tag]Photoshop[/tag] is my life, my love and my happiness. It is however, extremely tiring and draining. Although its supposedly just 3 hours every t-th, it’s an additional hour or two preparing for that, plus making sure everything else in your life is working so as to free up that time for it.

Continue reading Informatics Galleria T-TH 6-9PM, and the seat of my pants

Article Repost: Finally Vista, and other Tech Predictions

Here’s the orig ver of my article that came out yest

Finally Vista, and other Tech Predictions
Gabriel H. Mercado

Coming into next year, look forward to gadgets that are friendlier to each other, an Internet with more to see and hear than just read, and a big Scandal or two, all the while wondering if you should upgrade to Vista. Here are my predictions.

Continue reading Article Repost: Finally Vista, and other Tech Predictions

We’re looking for an accountant

or someone who can help us:

  1. learn to set up our books.
  2. develop sops to keep track of expenses.
  3. learn business best practices.
  4. i’m saying the same things am i?
  5. ok what else..
  6. sing and dance?
  7. particularly ‘on my own’ ala Mau Marcelo, the 1st Phil. Idol.

No, seriously. We need someone to teach us keep track of stuff. It’s not like we’re raking it in, it’s more like Jill doesn’t listen to me when I try to teach her how important it is to use Excel instead of bits of paper when she does her ‘accounting’. Hehe. Seriously. I also need someone to help me as Jill is going to take the bar this year, and she seriously needs to start burying her head in reviews. Terms after the ‘more’.

Continue reading We’re looking for an accountant

The Complete and Absolute Mayhem of A Manila New Year

I surveyed most of the damage of last night on the way home an hour ago, around 630AM from Jill’s house in BF Homes P’que to finally here in Cainta (yes we live that far apart. It’s ok, we adjust). Some people were already awake, sweeping the streets, the rest most likely conked out in bed or in a dazed stupor.

The air is completely thick with smoke from pyrotechnics all over the city. It had already been pretty windy last night but apparently that wasn’t enough to blow all this smoke away. Here in my room where the windows were closed all night, the smoke is creeping in and I can smell that familiar smell of a Manila New Year.

Continue reading The Complete and Absolute Mayhem of A Manila New Year