I, myself, use PLDT Landline Plus, which I keep plugged into my trusty ol’ Nokia 1112, and which I use for calling fixed lines while on the move.

But I think I may be switching to Globe’s Super DUO soon. It’s probably more practical, since I use Globe prepaid as my primary mobile number. Globe also upgraded DUO to Super Duo with one great feature. Instead of giving you unlimited calling capability only to landlines within your locality, you can also call other Globe and Touch Mobile phones anywhere in the country with no extra per-minute charge.

Wha’ts even better is that Super DUO is now available to all Globe subscribers, postpaid or prepaid. Previously, when the original DUO was introduced as a prepaid service, it was a bit expensive (P700 per 28 days), and was only available to DUO-enabled SIMs, which you had to purchase. Now anyone can sign up just by texting SUPERDUO (plus some keywords) to 8888. It’s also more affordable at P599 for 30 days.

To activate the service, you would have to text the following keywords to 8888.

SUPERDUO [area] [plan]

Areas include the following:

• MM for Metro Manila


• CEB for Cebu


• TAG for Bohol


• ROX for Capiz

You have two choices for a plan:

• 35 for P35, which is good for one day


• 599 for P599, which is good for 30 days.

I’ll be trying out this service soon. My primary concern is whether it interconnects well with other networks like Bayantel, PLDT, and the like. That’s one of my biggest gripes with my PLDT Wireless landline. I can’t seem to make outgoing calls to Bayantel.

I’ll post a preview and a review soon.

Next up: making some modifications to the BIOS, to see if things work well even with BIOS changes. I also need to see if disabling the onboard LAN from the BIOS would help extend battery life.

So I went ahead and got myself a Compaq Presario B1256TU notebook computer for use as my mobile workstation. The retail package did not include an operating system (that’s why it’s relatively cheaper), and so while paying I was thinking whether to:

• Install Ubuntu Linux as my primary OS,


• Install a bootlegged copy of Windows XP or Vista.


• Purchase an original copy of Windows Vista.

A new copy of Windows XP was out of the question, since in my mind this is already a dated OS. Sure, it’s more reliable than ever, given the seven or so years since its first release. But seven years? That’s old!

Ubuntu, meanwhile, is cool, but sometimes I still find the need to run Windows apps that simply cannot run on Wine. So this could perhaps be a hobby OS. I do run eeeXubuntu on my Asus Eee, though. And so my wife and I decided to go for Vista, so we can have some exposure to some new OS at home.

And so we bought a copy of Windows Vista Home Premium to go along with the laptop. The shop gave us a discount with an OEM package (I wonder if it’s legal to bundle a separate OEM package with a laptop sale, though). I also asked for a copy of the HP-Compaq drivers for the B1256TU, as I also read that while drivers are available from the HP site downloading can take some time.

Our home is now a multi-platform one, with a Mac that runs OS X Tiger, a notebook that dual-boots Windows XP and Ubuntu Feisty (due for upgrade soon), an Asus Eee that runs eeeXubuntu, and this new Presario that now runs Vista.

The Compaq came packaged with 1GB of memory, though, and from what I’ve read 1GB is inadequate for use with Vista. But the first few days I was using the laptop, it was responsive enough. I noticed a significant improvement when I plugged in a 4GB SDHC into the built-in card reader for use with ReadyBoost, which basically uses flash memory as cache. This is faster than having to access virtual memory from the hard drive, whenever physical RAM runs out.

But then I was planning to use this machine for photo manipulation and some video editing. So I replaced one of the 512MB RAM sticks with a 1GB one (not able to find a 2GB stick yet, and because the sales person mistakenly told me that Pentium Dual Core machines only supported up to 2GB RAM). Some improvement. And when I found a 2GB stick cheap enough (PhP 2,000 flat for a Kingston branded one), the laptop now runs on 3GB. Good thing I didn’t go for two 2GB sticks. I read you needed to run the 64-bit version of Vista to fully harness the extra gig. So it’s effectively a 3GB maximum for me!

The eye candy that comes default with Vista Home Premium (which Home Basic does not have) is both functional and aesthetically-pleasing. I’m a fan of OS X’s Expose, and Compiz Fusion’s scale, which make switching windows easy and intuitive. Vista doesn’t have that, but instead has Flip 3D. It’s not as intuitive as Expose, since you don’t get a full view of Windows thumbnails (just the top left edges), but it does its job fine.

SpeedStep Problem on Windows Vista

My only gripe with Vista so far is that it’s not able to adequately make Intel Speedstep work! I was wondering why the laptop got hot at the bottom, and the battery lasted only one hour. The Intel T2370 processor the B1200TU ran with was supposed to have SpeedStep. That meant the processor could run at low clock speeds when it didn’t need power, and could step up the speed (and voltage) when performance processing was needed. This translated to cooler operation and power savings.

And so I installed various CPU monitoring apps like CPU-Z and RightMark CPU Clock, and they all showed that the CPU speed was hovering somewhere between 1.72 and 1.73 GHz—hardly SpeedStep-like adjustments.

So I did some research and found out that a lot of other Windows Vista users had problems with SpeedStep on Intel dual core processors. These users had no problems with SpeedStep on XP or most Linux distros on the same machines, but Vista was simply unable to control SpeedStep. It’s a pity, since Vista does have a built-in way to define the speed ranges you wanted your processor to run on.

This was a really big speedbump in my book. Having the processor cores run at full speed all the time meant fast battery draining and a hot laptop, much like using Celeron-M processors.

With much tweaking, I discovered that on the Compaq B1256TU, the Processor will SpeedStep properly after waking from sleep. So after a cold boot, SpeedStep doesn’t work. After resume from hibernation, SpeedStep doesn’t work. It will only work after the computer has been awoken from standby state.

If you have a Pentium Dual Core machine running on Windows Vista, you can verify this by using CPU-Z or RM Clock. You can monitor the processor frequency adjusting from 0.7 GHz to 1.73 GHz according to CPU load. If you want to be able to customize this (such as by under-volting, or specifying which P-states or frequencies to use), you can use the “performance on demand” setting of RMClock.

Actually, this serves as a warning to people running Vista on their laptops. I know a few people whose laptops have been overheating for no apparent reason. I’ve even read reports that the Presario B1256TU was running at abnormally high temperatures out of the box. Now I know: it’s most likely that SpeedStep is not running properly. So this means the processor is always at full speed, and depending on the load, this likely causes high temperatures.

Does anyone else have similar experiences with Vista?

As for the notebook, I’ll post a more in-depth review soon. I paid in cash, btw, so I got it for less than the published PhP 35,950 price. With Vista Home Premium included, I paid just a bit over PhP 40k.

If you’re a Smartphone user, you should try out Fring. It lets you chat and talk via Yahoo IM, Google Talk, and a host of other IM networks via 3G, GPRS or WiFi. You can even make and receive calls via Skype, Google Talk, FWD and GIZMO over WiFi and 3G networks. Now that’s cool. Imagine if all mobile phones could access these VoIP networks via WiFi. Free calls for everyone!

fring™ is a mobile internet service & community that enables you to access & interact with your social networks on-the-go, make free calls and live chat with all your fring, Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®* friends using your handset’s internet connection rather than costly cellular airtime minutes.

Call quality is above average, and this is highly dependent on the network speed, and of course, the processing capability of your smartphone. On WiFi networks, Skype and SIP calls are good, albeit with some lag, which is expected.

And if you’re an avid IM user, you would love how Fring can keep you connected anywhere there’s a WiFi hotspot or 3G connection. I’ve been using this at my home wireless network for the past few days, and I don’t even have to turn on my computer(s) to IM or VoIP.

Fring has versions for Symbian, Windows Mobile and UIQ, and even the iPhone. That includes most Nokia, Motorola, SonyEricsson, O2, and a host of other Smartphones.

The new school year is just around the corner and I can see kids asking their parents to buy them laptops (among other gadgets, like cars, perhaps?). Here’s one practical choice: the Compaq Presario B1256TU. It’s not your top-of-the-line gizmo, but it sure packs a wallop for a compact 12-incher. I’ve been reading rave reviews about it, not mostly because of its performance, but because of its value-for-money.

For PhP 35,990 you get a dual-core machine with 1 Gig of RAM and 80GB of SATA hard drive space. It comes with a dual-layer DVD burner, a webcam, built-in mic, and most standard laptop peripherals these days.

This can practically be the next hit laptop after the Asus Eee—at least, in the Philippines! The B1256TU was, after all, designed to be targeted at the Asian Market. It is (relatively) affordable. The specs are reasonable. And Compaq is a trusted brand. And did I mention it looks sexy, too! It’s no MacBook Pro, but it looks sleek and slick, from what I see at stores and pics online.

Sure, my Asus Eee sells for half that price, but in terms of being a portable workhorse, the B1200 series can compete. And you can’t really compare them. It’s like comparing a main arm to a side arm. Like comparing the range, efficacy and accuracy of an M-16A rifle with a 9mm pistol. Both of them excel at what they’re made for, but they can’t necessarily be compared head-on because they were designed for different (though related) purposes.

One of the reasons it’s cheap is because there’s no OS pre-installed. Well, there is, if you consider DOS still useful these days! But that’s not a problem. If copyright is a concern, and you’re a penny-pincher, you can try Ubuntu. I suppose it should work like a charm, with this baby’s specs. As I’ve written before, Ubuntu can even give a better out-of-the-box experience than Windows. If you want Windows, the cheapest editions, I think are about PhP 4,000 for either Windows XP Home or Vista Home Basic.

Worried about RAM? You can upgrade down the road. 1GB sticks are cheap these days. Ubuntu will be fine on 1GB. XP, too. Vista would need more, but you can always just spend the extra PhP 1k each for 1GB sticks. That’s still a practical choice, compared to buying PhP 100,000+ machines with all the bells and whistles.

Now, considering I’ve been on the lookout for a laptop, do you think this cuts it? I’ve been a Compaq user for almost two years now, ever since I acquired my V2000 in July of ‘06.

My V2617TS was my cheap laptop find back then, at only PhP 31,000 (less if paid in cash, which I did). But that didn’t have built-in WiFi. The B1256TU has all the works!

So parents, do consider the Presario B1200 series for your kids this June. Hey, my 5- and 3-year old kids are already asking for my Mac Mini and widescreen LCD!

New! Withdraw Your Funds to Your Philippine Bank Account

Now you can add your Philippine bank account to your PayPal account, so you can withdraw your money directly to your bank. It saves you time and gives you faster access to your PayPal funds!

Plus, there is no charge to withdrawal amounts over PHP 7000*. So go ahead and add your bank account today!

Withdrawals of less than PhP 7,000 are only charged PhP 50. How great is that?

For more information, head on to the Philippine PayPal withdrawal page. A list of supported banks is here.

I think I’ll link up my PayPal account to those banks which have online access, so I can monitor how quickly funds are transfered.

So the manager had to call up their head office to request a fax copy of the Quick Cash form.

I decided to forego withdrawing my AdSense earnings for now because of these reasons.

First, I left my other ID in the car. I didn’t want to waste my time walking all the way to the parking lot and back to the RCPI branch just to get my other ID. RCPI/WU needed two valid IDs, and I usually only carry my driver’s license in my wallet. My other IDs (technically no longer valid, actually) I usually leave in the car for when I need to leave something at the gates of those exclusive subdivisions or school/company compounds.

Also, I wasn’t so sure about the form I was being asked to fill up. For some reason, the wordings on the Google AdSense payment details said MCTN or Money Transfer Control Number and Western Union Quick Cash, but “MCTN” wasn’t written anywhere on the Quick Cash form. So this started me wondering whether I should just use the regular “receive money” form instead.

Also, the person ahead of me in the queue was arguing with the teller, so I was expecting the wait to be longer. Teller says her PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) ID had already expired last August, and was asking her to submit another ID. The client, however, didn’t carry anything with her at the moment. Seemed like she was pissed, especially since she’d been a regular client for the past few months already.

Here’s what’s funny. During the argument, she said

Ilang buwan na akong nagwi-withdraw ng pera dito, bakit ayaw nyong tanggapin ang ID ko. Dalawang libo lang ‘yan! Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang dangal ko sa dalawang libo.

This loosely translates to:

I’ve been a client for some months now, so why won’t you accept my ID as valid. It’s just PhP 2,000. I won’t compromise my dignity for just PhP 2,000.

Or something to that effect.

Seems like the system got the better of that client.

I almost wanted to hear the teller answer the client:

Hindi naman po dangal niyo ang kelangan namin eh. Valid ID niyo!

Which loosely translates to:

We’re not after your dignity, but only your valid ID.

LOL.

Anyway, I think in these cases it’s an issue with very valid arguments from both sides. The remittance institution is just ensuring the security of transactions. The client, meanwhile, is asking reconsideration because it might be inconvenient at that time to produce another valid ID, probably given her circumstances. Her ID had been valid only a few months ago, and in all likelihood the person on her ID (name, picture, address, etc.) is still her!

Ah, life!

Later today or tomorrow, I’ll be heading to a different Western Union branch and I’ll be sure to fill up that yellow form, hoping it’s the right one.

Let me highlight the press release published in the Philippine Senate’s official website.

Sure, the press release itself is lacking, in terms of having a grasp of the actual concepts behind the sites and applications involved. For instance, the Boy Bastos site was referred to as providing “access to a YouTube,” (emphasis mine) as if YouTube were an object itself. However, the ratonale behind the whole thing is noble, I would think (if a bit misguided).

Senator Loren Legarda is known to be a staunch advocate of women’s rights. And it is for this reason, among others, I believe, that she is popular among her constituents (she topped in the Senate elections in 2001 and 2007). True enough I, for one, would definitely want to protect my wife and kids from the dangers that lurk around the corner. And I’m pretty sure other people would feel this way.

Legarda is author of Senate Bill 1375, the proposed Anti-Computer Pornography Act, which seeks to reinforce the war on electronic smut.

Under the bill, peddlers of online porn and other “indecent materials” would be punished with up to six years in prison or a fine of as much as P500,000, or both.

The bill provides that it would be illegal for any remote computer facility operator, electronic service provider or electronic bulletin board service provider to knowingly transmit, offer or attempt to send any communication that contains indecent material, to a person under 18 years of age.

It would also be unlawful for them “to allow access to transmit indecent material to a minor.”

However, in terms of proposing legislation, the Internet is a difficult thing to handle. It’s like a two-pronged tongue. It’s like beauty and the beast in the same person (or Jekyll and Hyde?).

The Internet is a powerful tool and medium that espouses and personifies freedom of information. This is freedom both as in free beer and freedom as in free speech. This means information is both free to get, and free for you to disseminate and distribute, as you please.

So with the Internet, the flow of information is largely unrestricted. People exchange ideas freely. People communicate faster. This is the very reason that some regimes try to curb, censor and even ban this medium—for the very reason that they fear dissent among their citizens. In most cases, the Internet still prevails.

However, along with the beauty of freedom comes the ugly side (which is also a profitable side, depending on your perspective). Pornography has been known to be a driver of technology, and along with the freedom of information that the Internet gives us is also the freedom to transmit less desirable content and information (again, desirability is subjective).

So the question now is how to combat the evils brought about by this new medium, like exploitation of women, children, and individuals in general, but still keeping in mind that the Internet is a different animal that cannot be contained by space.

Here’s what I propose

• Educate your kids on the dangers of the Internet. Teach them not to share personal and private information online. Teach them not to haphazardly post photographs online. Teach them to only talk to trusted people online. Teach them to be responsible with what they read and watch online.
• Educate parents (most important!). Teach them how to use the Internet themselves; I’m aware most kids today are more tech-savvy than their folks. Teach parents about the benefits and the dangers of the online world. Teach them how to cope with the dangers, without necessarily having to curtail their children’s freedoms.
• Educate lawmakers, law enforcers and their staff. Teach them how to handle the Internet as an entity. It cannot be contained by space or geography. Unless data itself resides on servers within a country’s soil, it may be difficult to prosecute within one’s jurisdiction. Help them keep up to date with the trends and issues.
• Teach lawmakers and law enforcers how to handle the Internet as a medium. Can ISPs be held liable for serving access to pirated content? What about pornographic content? Can social media apps be held liable for questionable content that its users upload? Can blogs be liable for comments made by readers? It’s just like blaming the telephone company when you receive undesirable messages like death threats.
• Teach respect. Earn respect.
• Actively promote productive use of the Internet as a medium.

I would think the best way to keep people from engaging in illicit activities (crime, immorality, etc.) is to effect changes from within. Society’s ills cannot be solved by imposing expectations without first ensuring that the people’s attitudes are in tune with what society thinks is right. This would be unrealistic.

I think there are two ways by which you can make people follow you. One is if they fear you, and another is if they love you. Imposing a reign of fear will sure curb or minimize whatever undesirable acts, but this will only foster dissent (and deep down inside, people will want to disobey). Focus on the positive, and people will do what you think is right because they also think it is right.

If you try to impose filters on your home computer or network, so that your teenaged sons cannot access porn, they will only find workarounds and get access to these through other means. Perhaps they can tunnel through proxies. Perhaps they can turn off the filters themselves. Perhaps they can still gain access at a friend’s place, or a public terminal. Or maybe they can get hard copies of lewd magazines pretending to be men’s lifestyle mags). But if you help them learn about the sacredness of sex and the beauty of the human body (of course, in an interesting and non-boring way), I don’t think they will resort to pornography.

Same goes with your daughters. Teach them to be confident with themselves and to be smart, and they will be less likely taken advantage of (by the teenaged boys whose parents impose filters and restrictions ).

Why they need people like us

And so folks, here’s the reason why our country—and those in power—need people like us. We are well-versed with new media like social media, blogging, podcasting, Web 2.(insert number here). And we are well aware of the potentials of the Internet as a medium, both for good and for bad. It is our responsibility to use this medium for good, and to guide our fellow citizens in using this medium in a productive manner.

So whichever side of the issue you stand on, I think you would agree with me on this.

The only freedom that is of enduring importance is the freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgment, exercised in behalf of purposes that are intrinsically worth while. The commonest mistake made about freedom is, I think, to identify it with freedom of movement, or, with the external or physical side of activity. – John Dewey

And it’s sitting right on my desk – my ZTE DSL modem. It’s ZTE, and it’s for broadband, isn’t it?

Update

I’ve posted an update here, in case you’d like to read more about the ZTE NBN Project.

However, I found Beryl to be quite unstable at times. It’s great that Compiz and the Beryl (a fork project of Compiz) had merged into Compiz Fusion. I would expect better stability and new functionalities and that’s just what I got. And they’re actually still in beta. I hear they will release a stable edition later this year.

Some screencaps. Oh, pardon the OSX-like theme. I was trying out some eye candy, and since I’m used to my Mac’s look, I guess it helps to have a more or less uniform look.

The desktop cube in action

The Expose-like Scale feature

Expo is much like the Desktop Wall feature. One thing I don’t like with Desktop Wall is that it conflicts with Desktop Cube. So it’s great to have Expo along with Desktop Cube (you can move windows across the different faces easily just by dragging).

Compiz Fusion’s settings manager has less customization abilities than Beryl, though, but I guess that’s a good tradeoff if you’re after stability. And it’s still not a final/finished product (active development is ongoing). So you can still expect more. Check out a guide for installing Compiz Fusion on Ubuntu Feisty here. I hear Compiz Fusion is included by default in the next release of Ubuntu (Gutsy Gibbon).