TechDrive Philippines

CyberPress elects officers for 2011-2012

2011-11-16T02:32:00.000+08:00

The Information Technology Journalists Association of the Philipppines Inc. (CyberPress) elected its new set of officers in a general assembly held Monday at Jump Experience Center at Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

Elected to the 20011-2012 board of officers were: Paolo Montecillo of Philippine Daily Inquirer (president), JM Tuazon of TV5/Interaksyon.com (vice president for internal affairs), Jing Garcia of TV5/Interaksyon.com (vice president for external affairs), TJ Dimacali of GMANews.tv (secretary), Verns Joven of Philstar.com (finance committee head), Marlon Magtira of Newsbytes.ph/Techbytes.ph (membership committee head ) and Melvin Calimag of Newsbytes.ph (election and constitutional amendments officer).

“The new set of officers looks forward to another productive year. In today’s connected world, now more than ever, we take our role as industry watchers more seriously,” Montecillo said.

“We have slated several activities this year, in line with our goal to bring the awareness about the importance of IT in our daily lives to a national scale,” he added.

CyberPress was formed in 1996 with an aim to unite IT journalists in bringing technical information more accessible to non-technical readers and educating the general public on issues concerning technological developments and industry. A goal of the organization is also to promote the use of various technologies that are creating an impact to modern Filipino society.

CyberPress is the pioneering organization of IT writers in the country working together to achieve common goals of promoting responsible journalism in the IT beat and fostering better appreciation for technology while cultivating a harmonious IT ecosystem in the country.

ABS-CBN: No reason to delay DTV rollout

2011-09-25T14:33:00.000+08:00

Lopez-owned broadcasting giant ABS-CBN, which has been undertaking digital terrestrial TV (DTT) test broadcasts since August, said last week that the public is already clamoring for a shift to digital TV and that there’s no reason to further delay its rollout.

DTT is also known by the term digital TV or DTV.

ABS-CBN marketing executive Miguel Mercado said in a media briefing in San Fernando, Pampanga that “test broadcasts on DTT have convinced free-TV or non-cable households that digital TV migration will give them clearer and better quality viewing experience.”

Mercado said the wide channel options enabled by the digital multi-frequency platform, as well as the dramatic improvement of signal quality or reception, is key source of satisfaction for viewers of DTT.

Ninety percent of the total Philippine viewing public is on non-cable free-TV, according to an ABS-CBN study.

The TV network began its DTT trial broadcasts in August this year in selected households belonging to D-E sectors in the towns of Mexico in Pampanga, and San Miguel, San Ildefonso, and San Rafael in Bulacan.

The DTT trial broadcasts were spurred by a National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) memorandum circular in 2010, which picked the Japanese standard ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial) as the country’s DTT platform.

In its circular, the NTC noted ISDB-T is much affordable over Europe’s DVB-T or Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial.

An ABS-CBN report, for instance, quotes an ISDB-T set-top box as 60 percent cheaper than DVB-T at P2,500.

Other broadcast networks that have undertaken DTT test broadcast in the country include Net-25, GemTV, and government TV station NBN (National Broadcasting Network).

The NTC decision, however, is still under review by Malacanang as the government is reportedly is keen on giving a second look at DVB-T.

GMA-7, which has also relayed its intention to migrate to digital TV, is supporting the European standard DVB-T.

IPVG to transfer assets to new private firm

2011-07-02T02:33:00.000+08:00

While its subsidiaries are going public, tech conglomerate IPVG is doing the opposite — it is going back to being a private company.

In a press briefing Friday, the Yuchengco-led firm announced that it will take on a new business plan that will transfer all assets and liabilities of IPVG to a new private holding company, which will retain the same technology conglomerate ownership structure.

The purpose of the restructuring plan is to increase shareholder value and raise more cash for IPVG, the company said.

IPVG CEO Enrique Gonzalez justified the move by saying that the current IPVG share price does not reflect the value of the company.

“We intend to replicate IPVG under a private scheme, so we can properly value based on net asset value method and we can tap private equity. The new plan will position us better to fully unlock and realize our true values at the holding company level,” Gonzales said.

“Our group has evolved much over the years. In the beginning, we incubated all these start-up businesses under IPVG. It made sense to bulk up and raise money at the parent level during those early years. Now that we have grown into a full-blown tech conglomerate, our subsidiaries are either public or on the way to going public.

“Our philosophy has changed. We are now focused on taking the operating companies public. This changes the role of our parent or investment holding company quite a bit, hence the new plan,” Gonzalez said.

IPVG operates 12 subsidiary companies in the country with about 3,000 employees. In the group of 12 companies, 3 are public, and another few are in joint ventures with large organizations including PCCW Teleservices, GMA7, and Kennet Partners (USA), Western Union, Salesforce.com, and Google Enterprise Solutions.

In the first quarter of 2011, IPVG generated over P300 million in net income, surpassing its 2010 performance of P145 million.

IPVG acquired Netopia chain of internet cafes in the country, and secured agreements to acquire the CyBr and I.T. log chains. IPVG owns the Station 168 and i-Hooked barnds of i-cafes, bringing its total retail stores to about 200 establishments nationwide with approximately 8,000 seats, which make up almost 10 percent of total seats in the Philippines.

IPVG’s remittance business under the Western Union brand has reached 407 outlets as of July 2, 2011.

“When we look at our retail business, we want to become the dominant player in our category. We think in thousands not hundreds over the next three years,” Gonzales said.

Epson holds 2nd ‘Fusion’ media event

2011-05-17T02:34:00.000+08:00

Epson Fusion Media Adventure 2011 brought us to Mabini, Batangas last weekend. One of the highlights of the event was scuba diving at Twin Rocks off Anilao’s coast.

This years’ “fusion” is the second of Epson Philippines’ annual event intended to sum up the highlights of the company’s marketing and sales efforts in the country (The first “fusion” was held in Bicol last year). The event also provided a glimpse of what’s ahead for Epson in the next few months.

According to Jay Lavarias, Epson Philippines’ business systems group head, the company posted 14 percent over all sales growth at the end of fiscal year 2010 versus 2009 with the following breakdown: inkjets and laser printers, 17 percent; business systems, 11 percent; visual instruments, 13 percent; and commercial and industrial, 18 percent.

Lavarias said that Epson product offering will further address lowering of total cost of ownership in 2011 with 13 new models that set to be launched for the corporate market.

“With focus on the corporate segment, Epson’s first foray into digital label press addressing the labeling and packaging business will be introduced, while expanding our product range of A3+ and roll media for large format papers,” Lavarias said.

New POS printers designed for other applications outside retail including aviation, healthcare and logistics will also be offered by Epson in 2011.

New all-in-one models previously designed as passbook printers for banks will be made available for related industries such as bills payment centers and education sectors.

For visual instruments, Epson is geared to expand beyond traditional use of projectors by enhancing its portfolio of home theater projectors equipped with 3LCD technology. “3LCD is a sophisticated, innovative technology that uses 3 chips to deliver vibrant, true-to-life images for the most demanding business and consumer audiences,” Lavarias said.

Epson Philippines’ targets 17-percent over-all sales growth for fiscal year 2011 with 73-percent growth for the commercial and industrial group and 47 percent for visual instruments. This is due to expansion of product portfolio for new markets that are expected to bring bigger sales growth. Targets for inkjets and laser printers and business systems are 17 percent and 8 percent respectively.

Roe Dillera, Epson Philippines’ marketing communications and public relations head provided a sneak preview of the global corporate vision of the company dubbed “SE15 Vision” of Seiko Epson 2015 Vision.

“We will pursue perfection of our three precision mechatronics-based core technologies – Micro Piezo, 3LCD, and QMEMS technologies) and create products and services that exceed customer expectations in the printing, projection, and sensing domains,” Dillera said.

Non-voice industry groups make TV promotion

2010-10-08T12:08:00.000+08:00

Non-voice industry groups make TV promotion

Take the Norton 50K Challenge

2009-08-19T16:26:00.003+08:00

Green footprint is all over the tech world

2009-08-19T16:10:00.002+08:00

Green is in. The recent noise to make computing efficient and friendly to the environment has pressed the IT sector to hook up on a new paradigm of providing “Green IT.” From enormous equipment in high-tech data centers to consumer products such as mobile PCs and phones, the IT world is abuzz with green initiatives.

Encouraging the practice of using technology resources efficiently, reducing the use of hazardous materials, and promoting recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste, the green hype has caught up with IT companies to take their share of making this world a healthier place to live in.

Technological innovation thrives with
social responsibility and efficient resource use

Studies show that the energy need of the rest of the world out paces renewable and non-renewable resources. Production of toxic materials thereby heightens while toxic wastes and Greenhouse gas emissions increase.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency with the task to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications, affirmed in a recent conference in Indonesia that information and communication technologies (ICT) can both be a cause and a potential cure for climate change.

Perceived as a major part of the problem and a key to the solution, the ITU stated that ICT can play a vital role in combating climate change. They can be used for remote monitoring of climate change and gathering important scientific data like using telemetry or remote sensing by satellite. New smart technologies can also usher in a whole new generation of energy-efficient products, notably in next-generation networks (NGN).

The ITU pointed out that the proliferation of ICT products in homes and offices, and their deployment throughout the world, places an increasingly heavy burden on energy consumption. Energy demands caused by high-tech lifestyles in some countries are now being replicated in others.

The late night glow in homes and offices emanating from computers, DVD players, TVs and battery chargers is all too familiar. And the move to "always-on" services, like broadband or mobile phones on standby, has greatly increased energy consumption compared with fixed-line telephones, which do not require an independent power source.

The ITU underlined an active commitment to promote the use of ICT as a positive force to reduce greenhouse emissions and to find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. The agency said it will support and facilitate scientific studies aimed at implementation of new measures against the negative effects of climate change.

Tech companies tumble in green list

The latest edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics saw the rankings of the world’s biggest consumer technology companies drop significantly as a new criteria that measures impact on climate change was added. The list was first launched in August 2006 as a challenge to electronic companies to “green” their products, from production to disposal.

In the new list, out of the 18 electronics companies evaluated, eight companies including Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Motorola, Philips, and Sharp scored above 5/10. Last year, only two companies, Sony Ericsson and Sony scored above 5/10.

Aside from introducing the new criteria, Greenpeace said it also tightened the requirements on electronic waste (e-waste) and toxic chemicals. The newly added energy criteria, the group said, require companies to show their political support for global mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In the previous survey, improvements in the take-back programs of mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Motorola provided a big lift in their standings. The Greenpeace scorecard cited Nokia’s improvements in its take-back program in the Philippines and Thailand.

Gaming company Nintendo remained in the cellar, not moving from last place since Greenpeace started the survey. It managed a paltry score of 1 (0.8 in 2008).

In a statement recently released to the media, Greenpeace stated, “the information and communications technology (ICT) sector currently accounts for 2 percent of global GHG emissions, equal to the aviation industry. As one of the most innovative and fastest growing industries, Greenpeace expects the sector to take leadership in tackling climate change by reducing both their direct and indirect climate carbon footprint.”

Listed below is the score of the 18 technology companies surveyed in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics:

Nokia (7.45 points) – Scores top marks for leading competitors on toxic phase out

Samsung (7.1 points) – Holds second position for commitment to reduce absolute emissions

Sony Ericsson (6.5 points) – Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting

LG Electronics (5.7 points) – Up two places but needs to eliminate hazardous chemicals from all products

Toshiba (5.5 points) – Moves up two places with an extra point for promising to cut GHGs

Motorola (5.5 points) – Scores higher and climbs two places because of use of renewable energy

Philips (5.3 points) – Falls from 4th to 7th position and needs to put its commitment to responsible recycling policies into practice

Sharp (5.3 points) – Rises from 9th to joint 7th place with its energy efficient products

Acer (4.9 points) – Put 16 new models of a monitor that are almost free of hazardous chemicals and climbed two places from 11 to 9 but still need to sort out the power cord

Panasonic (4.9 points) – Advance from 12th to 10th place for energy efficiency and pvc free product range but still bad on e waste

Apple (4.7 points) – Drop one position to 11th with no change in scores but get kudos for their green MacBook

Sony (4.5 points) – Plunges from 5th to 12th place for inadequate commitments on eliminating hazardous chemicals, e waste policy and cutting GHGs

Dell (3.9 points) – Stays at 13th place because of backtracking on toxics phase out

HP (3.5 points) – Is at 14th position and has no products on the market free of toxic substances

Microsoft (2.5 points) – Loses a point for a poor recycling policy but stays in 15th position

Lenovo (2.5 points) – Down two places with no set timeline for toxics phase out on all products

Fujitsu (2.4 points) – Debuts second from last with no products that are free of hazardous chemicals

Nintendo (1 point) – Stays put in last position with a glimmer of hope with partially pvc free consoles

CyberPress: I.T. Journalists Association of the Philippines

2008-11-24T20:46:00.005+08:00

The Information Technology Journalists Association of the Philippines web site at http://www.cyberpress.org.ph/ posted a story on Monday about its newly elected officers for 2009.

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – CyberPress, the country’s only organization of IT writers, also known as IT Journalists Association of the Philippines (ITJAP), has elected on Saturday its new set of officers for 2008 to 2009.
The election was held at the Taal Vista Heights resort in this city, right after the press club conducted a Writers Workshop on: “Legal Issues Affecting Online Reporting and Blogging” with Atty. JJ Disini as resource speaker. He is an MA graduate of the Harvard Law School.
The new CyberPress board members are: Jing Garcia, president (TechTimes Section Editor, The Manila Times, and Editor of Speed Magazine); Red Samar, vice president for external affairs (InfoTech
Section Editor, The Manila Bulletin); Melvin Calimag, vice president for internal affairs (reporter, The Manila Bulletin, editor of TechFrontiers Journal, and Contributor of ZDNet Asia); Tom S. Noda, secretary (reporter, Computerworld Philippines); Alma Anonas, membership chairperson (correspondent, BusinessMirror); Vernadette T. Joven, finance officer (reporter, Computerworld Philippines); Marlon Magtira, election and constitutional amendments officer
(editor, TechFrontiers Journal, PC Buyer's Guide Philippines/ PC Direct and PC Shopper); Maricel Estavillo, sectoral representative for online (editor, BusinessWorld); and Ed Geronia, Jr., sectoral representative for print (editor-in-chief, T3 Philippines).
Calimag, the two-time president of CyberPress and now elected vice president for internal affairs, said the induction of the new officers will take place this coming December, coinciding with the organization’s annual Christmas party. The place and time of the event will yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, Garcia, in his acceptance speech, expressed optimism that CyberPress will grow bigger and stronger in 2009. “I hope everybody will do better” the newly elected president said, adding that he plans to encourage more membership in the IT press club.
“We would reach out to other media companies and organizations in the regions of Visayas and Mindanao,” Garcia announced.
According to Calimag, 2009 will be a more productive year for CyberPress. “We expect to accomplish more as a group,” Calimag said, as he informed that CyberPress is preparing to do its last workshop activity for this year also in December. The forum will be about Green
IT, an advocacy for companies to practice environment-friendly
technologies.

Now with a total of 31 members, CyberPress remains to be the only IT press organization in the Philippines. It is the first IT press club established in South East Asia (SEA) in mid-1996.
The organization’s list of member publications are: BusinessMirror, BusinessWorld, Computer World Philippines, Enterprise, Gadgets Magazine, GMA News, TechFrontiers Journal, The Manila Bulletin, The Manila Times, Manual Magazine, Maxim Philippines, Outrage Magazine, PC Buyer's Guide, PC Direct, PC Shopper, PC World Philippines, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, PsiCom Publishing, Speed Magazine, T3 Philippines, Tech Frontiers Philippines, The Daily Tribune, and ZDNet Asia.

New iPhone rival

2008-09-24T06:25:00.003+08:00

Google partners with T-Mobile to launch Android-powered smartphone

Google ventures the smartphone market with the introduction of T-Mobile G1, the first phone to feature the Android operating system. Android is a Linux-based software platform designed for mobile devices developed by Google in collaboration with Open Handset Alliance.

With features that directly compete with Apple’s iPhone, the Internet-centric G1 smartphone will initially become available in the U.S. and Europe at about US$400.

Manufactured by High Tech Computer (HTC), the T-Mobile G1 runs on Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz processor with 128MB of RAM. Its main features include a 3” 480x320-resolution touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, 1GB flash memory, GPS, a microSD, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3.1MP camera and so on.

The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-installed with a host of Google web-based service incluing Search, Maps, Gmail, Calendar, Talk, Amazon MP3, and YouTube. The G1 also features Android Market, which includes a number of applications and mash ups.

Singapore develops new GPS movie technology based on viewer’s location

2008-09-23T04:49:00.004+08:00

I was browsing through the CNet Asia web site when I stumbled upon Isabella Chen’s Chick Click blog entry “Real spaces, digital memory” about GPS Film, a Singaporean government initiative project for developing a new motion picture technology designed for GPS-enabled handheld devices like PDAs or mobile phones. GPS Film automatically selects clips from an extraordinarily produced movie based on the location of the viewer.

Considerably a breakthrough in the movie industry, GPS Film will provide a new opportunity for the viewer to explore the actual environment via digital content. GPS Film’s "picture moving, not a moving picture" catchphrase sets a new type of movie experience where viewers don't just take movies on the road but movies will actually take viewers to the road.

According to the GPS Film web site,

"GPS Film invents a new form of film-viewing experience by using the place and movement of the viewer to reveal the story.

"As the viewer travels by walking, bus, or taxi, the movie unfolds by passing through different areas.

"By exploring a park, a neighborhood, or even a city or country, GPS Film continually ‘reads’ the location of the viewer and plays scenes that are tied to those places. The more the viewer travels, the more of the film they see."

In her blog, Isabella talks about dead spaces and dead times where people are forced to go through in between productive situations. She wrote,

“The more time you spend in spaces like these, the more brain dead you become.”

Well, GPS Film would definitely give life to our dead brains during dead times. And dead spaces will actually take an important role in the process.

Click here to go to Isabella Chen's Chick Click blog.
Click here to go to Isabella's "Real space, digital memory" blog entry.
Click here to go to CNet Asia.

Graphics Card Buying Guide

2008-08-07T01:39:00.002+08:00

This Buying Guide was published on PC Shopper Philippines magazine (August Issue).

If you intend to use your PC for graphics-intensive applications, the video card is definitely one of the most important components that will make or break your tasks. With the rapid evolution of hardware and software that require constant upgrades, browse through our advices to make sure you will get the right add-on card.

Fast Facts

If you’re running 3D and heavy graphics, your system mostly depends on the graphics card. A weak video card will slow down PC performance even if you have a strong CPU or a massive memory module. Other components may complement, but video output quality is loaded based on the graphics card’s ability to handle the technologies. This is why some high-end video cards are actually more expensive than any other components in the system.

Graphics cards are usually rolled out between six to twelve months period before a new faster and powerful series than the previous models is introduced to support new technologies. Current mid-range to high-end video cards bring a lot of new highfalutin technologies that are often times blurry for most of us.

PC Gaming publishers usually release new products every year, giving way to new system requirements, making your head turning to find out why your PC gets outdated quickly. If your PC is more than three years, maybe it's too old to have an upgrade so it’s better to get rid of it. No, don’t throw it away. Sell it and buy a new rig.

Graphics card upgrade may require upgrading of other components such as CPU, memory, hard drive, and even the power supple depending on the applications and video card type you will use.

Graphics cards are also called “expansion cards” or “add-on cards” specifically designed for the motherboard’s AGP or PCI-Express slots. They called “expansions” or “add-ons” simply because there are cheaper video solutions that are integrated or built-in on the motherboard with special slots for discreet video cards. Built-in video may run 3D applications and games but this is generally slow and works well on daily office tasks and e-mail access.

AGP and PCI Express
Current motherboards usually have AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port or Advanced Graphics Port) or PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express or PCI-E) expansion slots for add-on graphics cards. You should determine the slot type on your motherboard because AGP or PCI Express graphics cards are designed for one slot type only. The big difference between the two is the bandwidth they offer. Manufacturers claim that the higher bandwidth is better.

The descendant of PCI parallel-interface video cards, AGP is being slowly driven away by PCI Express. Providing sufficient bandwidth for new applications with 2.1GBps bandwidth, the latest AGP 8x graphics cards and motherboards are still widely available.

PCI Express is the latest species in the evolution of video cards following on the component transition from parallel to serial for an increased bandwidth. It theoretically offers 2 – 4 times more bandwidth than AGP. Since all PC components are gearing towards the serial interface, most new graphics cards designed for PCIE. The latest PCIE (x16) 2.0 can run about 8 GBps bandwidth. Most motherboards with multiple PCI Express x16 slots are designed to operate SLI and CrossFire functions.

If your PC system is more than two years old, it probably has an AGP slot. Upgrading to PCI Express will be expensive since you'll need to replace the motherboard, CPU, and memory, but if your system is more than two years old, it might just be the right time to upgrade your entire PC anyway.

Graphics Card Stuff: What you may not know

Fill Rate – GPU’s speed in drawing pixels depending on the number of ROP (raster operations pipeline) units of the graphics card.
GART (Graphics Address Remapping Table) – a capability of reading textures directly from memory without the need to copy them to video memory.
GBps (Gygabyte per second) – bandwidth measured in the number of Gygabytes processed per second.
Pixel Pipelines –pixels pass through a GPU unit called “pipelines” which crunch complex vertex and pixel-shader programs for lighting and other effects. The more pipelines, the better. Cheaper cards usually have 4 pipelines while mid-range to high-end 8-16 or more.
Pixel Shaders (also called “pixel processors”), Vertex Shaders Units (also called “vertex processors”), and Unified Shaders – Usually used for realism gaming, Pixel and Vertex Shaders are GPU units that execute pixel frequency and control colors that apply an effect on images like shadows and explosions. Unified Shaders combines and executes both Pixel and Vertex Shaders.
RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter) – converters used to store color palette that generate analog signals for the monitor.
SLI (NVIDIA’s scalable link interface) and CrossFire (ATI) – New technologies that allow two or graphics cards installation for certain intensive graphics applications.

It’s not all about memory
The most popular error in pronouncing a graphics card’s performance is judging it by its memory size. Well, that was true during PCI video cards heydays. Memory size is important, but the real deal in determining video card speed is the capability of the GPU. Of course, higher memory can provide a certain effect but there are more important considerations to measure performance like the GPU’s memory bus, clock, and pipelines that affect bandwidth. Take a look at pipelines and clock speed specs

Current graphics cards use 64 - 512-bit bus witch 400 – 2000MHz clock, so a 512-bit bus with high clock speed can definitely give the card a boost as compared to 64-bit. Current memory types are designed on DDR and GDDR modules ranging from 128 MB to 1024 MB. A few years ago, video cards with 16-32 MB could do well with graphics programs. Today, many games and applications like Adobe CS3 require at least 128 MB to run.

What’s on the card?

Analog D-Sub (also known as VGA or DB-15F) – 15-pin connector for analog monitors.
DVI (DVI-Integrated and DVI-Digital) - standard interface used to provide digital video signals to LCD monitors.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) - simultaneously transmitting visual and audio data via the same cable.
DisplayPort - new digital video interface designed for upcoming multimedia devices.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) – The brain of the graphics card, GPUs operation is measured in megahertz (millions of information processed per second).

nVIDIA or ATi?
ATi and nVIDIA are the only two consumer graphics card vendors that clashes head to head in the market today (If there are others, please let me know). They have their own price ranges and I can’t say which is better or worst because each has its ups and downs. If you don’t have any budget constraints, grab a high-end solution to get the highest quality images and best performance.

Desktop Processors: Multi-Cores and OverClocking

2008-08-05T01:28:00.017+08:00

Being the so-called “computer’s brain” which executes all applications, the processor is obviously the most vital component of the PC. Distributors highlight the processor on top of the specs sheet because of its impact on the over-all performance of the PC system.

Fast Facts

CPU - The PC processor called the CPU (Central Processing Unit). To avoid confusion, the “CPU” term tends to be dropped in the market because it also refers to the CPU package that includes all components inside the case. Current video cards also feature processors which is called a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
Clock Speed - Clock speed is a processor rating that measures a certain number of information processed per second. 2.0GHz means 2 billions of data processed per second. Current applications require millions of data to run so the higher clock speed means faster processing. Multi-core processors are just making this impression a lot more complex as we see lower clock speeds compared to single cores. Logically, a dual-core processor with each running at 1.5GHz should be equivalent to a 3.0GHz single-core. This will not work if applications designed for single-cores are executed on multi-cores.
FSB - The Front Side Bus (FSB) serves as the processors’ connection to the system memory. FSB data transfer speed allows better the processor performance.
L2 Cache - The cache enables the processor to speedily access recently used information. Current processors operate on Level 2 (L2) cache which provides faster data transfer between the processor and main system memory.

Top-of-the-line
Here are the current most powerful and most also most expensive processors in the market. You might want to grab one of these if you want to get the best performance for your PC.

Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Q9000 series
Processor Numbers: QX9775, QX9770, QX9650
Architecture: 45 nanometer technology
L2 Cache: 12 MB
Clock Speed: 3.20 GHz (QX9775, QX9770), 3 GHz (QX9650)
Front Side Bus Speed: 1600 MHz (QX9775, QX9770), 1333 MHz (QX9650)
Slot/Socket Type: LGA771- DX5400 (QX9775, QX9770), LGA775 (QX9650)
AMD Phenom X4 Quad-Core 9000 series
Model Number: 9950
Frequency (MHz): 2600
L2 Cache Size (KB): 512
Manufacturing Tech (CMOS): 65nm SOI
Socket: AM2+
System Bus (MHz): 4000
AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core 8000 series
Model Number: 8750
Frequency (MHz): 2400
L2 Cache Size (KB): 512
Socket: AM2+
Manufacturing Tech (CMOS): 65nm SOI
System Bus (MHz): 3600

Overclocking
Overclocking is the term used in pushing a processor (CPU or GPU) to operate higher than what is officially rated by its vendor. It is claimed that overclocking enables the system to extend its capabilities by more than 25%, definitely a high boost to computer performance.

It is widely assumed especially by PC gamers who are hungry for more computing power, that out-of-the-factory processors are usually underrated by manufacturers for increased reliability. The processors bit rating determines the largest number of information that a processor can handle depending on the clock speed. A processor clock cycle is measured at 2 to the power of the bit rating so 32-bit can handle up to 232 or about 4.3 billion processed information per cycle. In turn, 64-bit can execute 264 or about 18.4 quintillion. Clock speeds are said to be lower than the maximum number of information that many tech buffs would like to get hold of the extra unrated power of processors without spending more and take the system a further step higher in its class.

Caveat!
While there are overclocked processors that can actually take smooth operation, a user should have the necessary technical know-how in forcing the processors to its limits because hitches may result such as increasing heat dissipation, reducing lifespan or completely wrecking the component.

Multi-Core Processors
Initially designed to serve the server market, multi-core processors are now finding its way to personal computing with the new generation of software that require higher speeds and processing power.

Multi-core design integrates multiple physical processors on a single chip dividing the applications between the processors to allow the system to function faster by running multiple threads. Multi-tasked applications generate multiple threads or streams of data. A processor can only handle a single thread at a time. This means that the more applications are executed the slower a thread is processed.

A multi-core processor enables the system to handle more than one thread at a time by switching the threads between the cores to provide faster information processing.

Battle of New UMPCs

2008-08-04T15:15:00.001+08:00

UMPCs are creating a heap of noise these days. As manufacturers continue innovating to make smaller, stronger and inexpensive PCs, the line between ultra-portables and ultra-mobiles is getting blurred. While some are actually not cheap, road warriors get the juice on the move. Let's take a close look at new UMPCs on the block.

UMPCs a.k.a. ultra-mobile personal computers, are small lightweight under a kilogram notebook computers that have about 7-8-inch LCD screen. UMPCs are smaller-than-usual laptops with all the features and functions of a PC.

UMPCs' compact design makes it easy to be carried by those who spend more time on the road. With specs and functions that overlap with other handheld devices, UMPCs are also referred to by a variety of notebook categories including subnotebooks, ultraportables, mini-laptops (mini-notebooks), and MID's (mobile internet devices).

Asus EeePC 900
SRP: PhP25,000
ASUS stirred interest on the UMPC category with the introduction of the EeePC last year. The EeePC 900 is the second iteration of this ground-breaking laptop with 16GB drive, a wider 8.9-inch screen, and 1GB RAM.

Display: 8.9” 1024 x 600
Casing Color: Pearl White, Black
CPU: Intel Mobile CPU
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Display Card: Intel UMA
Storage: 12GB (4SSD+8flash) (XP); 20GB (4SSD+16 flash) (Linux)
Card Reader: SD / MMC (SDHC)
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: Built-in 802.11b/g
Camera: Built-in 1.3Mp
Input/Output: 3 USB ports, VGA-out (D-Sub, 15pin), earphone /mic/RJ45 Ethernet
OS: Windows XP/Linux
Dimensions: 23 x 17 x 3cm WHD
Weight: 0.99 Kg

HP 2133 Mini Note
SRP:PhP30,000
The 2133 offers multiple configurations, bigger keys in an aluminum alloy design. The PhP30K version is fully loaded with a 120GB, 7200rpm hard drive and Windows Vista.

Display: 8.9” 1280 x 768
Casing Color: Silver Black
CPU: VIA C7-M ULV 1.6 GHz
Memory: 1-2GB DDR2
Display Card: VIA Chrome 9
Storage: 120-160GB or 64GB SSD; optional 4GB PATA Flash w/ SuSE Linux
Card Reader: ExpressC/54, SD
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g,
Camera: Optional
Input/Output: 2 USB ports, RJ45 Ethernet, earphone/mic
OS: Windows Vista/Linux
Dimensions: 1’ (at front) x 10 ’ x 6.5’
Weight: 1.2 Kg

Lenovo Thinkpad X300
SRP: PhP130,000
The new X300 is the 0.73'' thinnest ND lightest ThinkPad ever with built-in DVD burner, a slew of 3 USB ports, mic and headphone ports and more.

Display: 13.3’ WXGA 1440 x 900
Casing Color: Silver Black
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz
Memory: 1-4GB DDR2
Display Card: Intel Graphics X3100
Storage: 64GB SATA SSD, Ultra-thin DVD Burner
Card Reader: Built-in mic/speakers
Audio: Bluetooth, GPS (Verizon WWAN), Intel UltraWideBand, Intel WiMax, 802.11n
Wireless: Intel PRO
Camera: Built-in 1.3Mp
Input/Output: Fingerprint sensor, 3 USB ports,earphone/mic, RJ45 Ethernet
OS: Windows Vista Business
Dimensions: 12.5” x 9.1” x 0.73” WDH
Weight: 1.42kg

Astone UMPC
SRP:PhP20,000
The Astone UMPC has a 7” touchscreen LCD powered by a VIA C7 processor at 1.2 GHz, 1Gb RAM and 60GB hard drive. It comes with a 1.3MP webcam and a Bluetooth VoiP phone.

Display: 7” WVGA Touch Screen
Casing Color: Silver Black
CPU: VIA C7-M ULV 1.2Ghz
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Display Card: VIA UniChrome Pro II
Storage: 60GB
Card Reader: 4in1SD/MMC/MS/MS P
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: Wireless LAN Azure Wave IEEE 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
Camera: Built-in 0.3MP
Input/Output: 2 USB 2.0 RJ45 Ethernet, earphone/mic, DVI-I, Bluetooth VoIP Phone
OS: Linux Open OS
Dimensions: 23×17x29 cm
Weight: 0.97 Kg

Apple MacBook Air
SRP:PhP150,000
The new MacBook Air is 0.8” ultrathin in a 13”-screen package designed with wireless innovations. This ultra-portable comes with a whopping full-size keyboard and exceptionally large multi-touch trackpad.

Display: 13.3” WXGA
Casing Color: Silver, White
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2GB DDR2
Display Card: Intel GMA X3100
Storage: 80GB, 64GB SSD optional
Card Reader: None
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth
Camera: Built-in iSight, 640×480
Input/Output: 1 USB, Micro-DVI, earphone/mic,
OS: Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard
Dimensions: .76” H x 12.8” W x 9” D
Weight: 1.36 Kg

Everex Cloudbook
SRP:Php20,000
Everex lives up to its commitment to provide customers with high-performance, highly-affordable technology, simple and durable enough to be used in everyday life with the Everex CloudBook, a new Ultra Mobile Portable Computer designed to run Linux or Windows OS that will try to compete with other UMPCs on the market such as the Asus Eee PC, the OLPC and the Intel ClassMate. Just under 1Kg, the CloudBook's dimensions (WxDxH) are only 9.06" x 6.73 x 1.16" .Powered by a VIA C7 ULV 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM30GB hard drive, the CloudBook is featured with a built-in WiFi, 1.3MP webcam, speakers and 4-in-1 card reader, and Ethernet,DVI and two USB ports.

Display: 7" WVGA 800 x 480
Casing Color: Silver, Black
CPU: VIA C7-M ULV 1.2 GHz
Memory: 512MB DDR2
Display Card: VIA UniChrome Pro IGP
Storage: 30GB
Card Reader: 4-in1SD, MMC, MSPRO
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: 802.11b/g
Camera: Built-in 0.3MP
Input/Output: 2 USB, RJ45 Ethernet, DVI-I, earphone/mic
OS: Ubuntu, gOS Rocket
Dimensions: 23 × 17 × 3 cm (WHD)
Weight: 0.91 Kg

Lenovo Thinkpad X300

2008-08-04T13:12:00.001+08:00

SRP: PhP130,000
The new X300 is the 0.73'' thinnest ND lightest ThinkPad ever with built-in DVD burner, a slew of 3 USB ports, mic and headphone ports and more.

Display: 13.3’ WXGA 1440 x 900
Casing Color: Silver Black
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz
Memory: 1-4GB DDR2
Display Card: Intel Graphics X3100
Storage: 64GB SATA SSD, Ultra-thin DVD Burner
Card Reader: Built-in mic/speakers
Audio: Bluetooth, GPS (Verizon WWAN), Intel UltraWideBand, Intel WiMax, 802.11n
Wireless: Intel PRO
Camera: Built-in 1.3Mp
Input/Output: Fingerprint sensor, 3 USB ports,earphone/mic, RJ45 Ethernet
OS: Windows Vista Business
Dimensions: 12.5” x 9.1” x 0.73” WDH
Weight: 1.42kg

CyberPress stages first laser tag tournament for IT firms

2008-08-04T06:23:00.007+08:00

The IT Journalists Association of the Philippines Inc., also known as CyberPress, is staging the first laser tag tournament for local IT companies on Aug. 15, 1 to 6 in the afternoon, at the Lazer Xtreme gaming arena in Market! Market! in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

IT executives from the country’s top technology and BPO firms are expected to slug it out in a friendly competition meant to serve as a continuation of the annual sports tournament organized by the local IT press corps.

The tournament, which will employ a knock-out system, will be held in a high-tech and futuristic venue which opened just two months back. Unlike in most war games using high-pressure pellet guns or paint projectiles, Lazer Xtreme provides electronic tag games minus the danger, pain, wardrobes ruined by paint, the need to buy expensive gear, among other concerns, making the game suitable for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

Moreover, unlike in many simulation-shooting games that rely mostly on marshals to monitor hits and casualties, the state-of–the–art facility uses infrared signals that are fired through the guns and received by the laser tag vest worn by the other player which registers onto a computer.

IT and BPO companies, as well as organizations coming from the ICT sector, can participate in the games which is also serving as fund-raising activity of the CyberPress. A participation fee of P5,000 will be charged per team (composed of four members). Food and drinks is included in the fee.

To join, contact Melvin Calimag (melvsgc@yahoo.com) or Relly Carpio (anaksapatero@gmail.com).

New projector technologies take center stage

2008-08-03T00:56:00.002+08:00

Recent improvements in projector technologies have been huge. While LCD and DLP types steadily gained popularity in the consumer projector segment because of their unique advantages in price and performance, new models with improved internal mechanisms are sprouting to pick up an edge in the market.

DLP (Digital Light Processing)
A digital display solution that uses Digital Mirror Device chip with thousands of micro mirrors that modulate light from the lamp, DLPs are known to purge “screen door” effects on the projected image usually seen on LCDs. DLPs are considered to have higher quality video output. Recent developments to enhance color management are geared towards improved DLP color reproduction.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
LCDs or 3LCDs use three red/green/blue LCD glass panels. The RGB panels modulate light that produces the projected image. LCDs produce brighter images than DLPs and are generally used for presentations even in well-lit rooms. Sharper images from LCDs can actually be unflattering for videos which tend to be pixilated. The trio panels make LCDs a bit bulky than DLPs. New LCD technologies tend to compete with portability and video enhancements of DLPs.

LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)
LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), the third kid in the major block has become a popular hybrid of LCD and DLP with improved contrast levels over LCDs and crispier images over DLPs. Combining liquid crystals and reflective mirrors make LCoS more expensive than LCD and DLP. LCoS reduces gaps between pixels to produce richer images as compared with the other two.

SXRD (Silicon X-Tal Reflective Display)
Developed by Sony for its new line of projectors, SXRD technology takes LCoS on the next level with an increased pixel density and improvement in inter-pixel gaps. SXRD solves the grey effect on LCoS projectors and advances a new device that vertically aligns liquid crystal materials to achieve higher optical properties and contrast that are previously unachievable in LCD, DLP or LCoS projectors.

D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplification)
Optimized for new JVC projectors, D-ILA technology is yet another LCoS innovation with an “image amplifier” design that is able to produce 2048x1536-pixel HDTV performance. D-ILA has its own optical engine to provide full benefits of high-resolution videos from players or PCs while addressing the previous black level issues of LCoS.

4LCD
An innovation of conventional three RGB glass panel LCD systems, 4LCD is Sanyo’s latest projector optical engine which includes a new color control device that controls the amount of yellow light in the projected image to produce higher luminosity and improved color accuracy. 4LCD can generate clearer images and videos that was previously impossible even with high brightness 3LCD projectors.

New generation of 4K projectors on top-of-the-line
Costing millions of pesos and maximized for a massive 50-foot screen, posted at the current highest-end in the fixed-installed projector block are the latest generation of 4K projectors rated at a whopping 4096x2400 resolution. Wow! That’s more than four folds that the most expensive 1080p HDTV can display. You might wonder how Anne Hathaway will look on this enormous screen.

DLP projectors now use LED technology
Promising to transform the projector landscape, new Light Emitting Diode (LED) technologies are now integrated in DLP projectors that will eventually do away with replacement lamp maintenance costs. Mainstream DLP projectors that are widely used are built with digital micro mirrors to modulate light and project images through the lens require lamps that die in a matter of time. Previous LCD projectors that use three legacy panels which are still available require replacement lamps as well. LED-based projectors will also consume less power and run cooler than lamp-based types.

The coming of projector widgets
We are now seeing the dawn of ultra-compact “miniature projectors” that have built-in single-mode RGB lasers to provide LCD-like graphical presentations from a mobile device. These petite gizmos allow users to carry big screens right in their pockets. We might see in the long run not only in mainstream DLP, LCD and LCOS projectors that will hang on to this new technology, but in handheld portable devices as well.

Going Wireless
With rapid changes in how presentations are created for a specific audience, wireless functionality (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) has become a standard feature on new projectors. Making it easier to switch between multiple sources, wireless projectors also gives more presentation flexibility and mobility for users.

Digital Video Camera Formats

2008-08-02T22:55:00.003+08:00

With a lot of digital video camera types out there, you should be making your choice according to cost and convenience. Although cheaper analogue camcorders are still around, many prefer digital formats for higher resolution recording, more video versatility and compact design. Read on before getting a new digital camcorder.

Digital8
If you’re on budget, Digital8 format is a great choice to make home movies. Considered to be the first upgrade step from analogue to digital, this format records onto legacy 8mm and Hi8 tapes and can play your old analogue recordings. Digital8 types allow you to produce small video clips compressed for the Internet. Like the MiniDV, the Digital8 produces decent studio-quality video with 500 lines of resolution.

MiniDV
Popular among budget buyers and even professional videographers, MiniDV is intended to replace VHS and Hi8. Smaller than 8mm and can record for about an hour of video, MiniDV offer better effects and more superior lenses. Some MiniDVs can take good quality digital still pictures like a professional digital camera.

MicroMV
Ultra-compact MicroMVs camcorders are smaller versions of standard MiniDVs. Designed for portability and easy-of-use, lightweight MicroMVs measure only about 10 x 5 x 7.5cm (HxWxS).

DVD
DVD camcorders allow direct recording onto 8cm DVD-R or DVD-RW discs without the PC and immediately view playbacks on a DVD player. DVD camcorders have enhanced features of MiniDVs and Digital8s plus some special effects.

Hard Disc
This camcorder types sports a built-in hard disc which store digital movies. Hard disk types make it easier for the user to edit, delete and transfer files to the PC.

Memory cards (SD, MS)
Memory card camcorders types are smaller designs and records highly compressed videos mainly for Web sites, blogs and e-mail.

Features WatchList
Lens - at least 10x optical zoom.
Inputs and Outputs - Firewire port, Audid/Video outputs for TV connection, S-Video (Super-Video) cable
Image Stabilization - to avoid "camera jitters"
Still–Photo Capabilities - Many digital camcorders now offer still photo capture features.
Low–Light Performance - Camcorder’s ability to capture video in low-light situations
Battery Life - Check the maximum recording time. Expect to get less than the stated maximum battery life so won’t get frustrated.

Amped Games ties up with GPlayon to promote N-Age in the Philippines

2008-07-17T03:51:00.003+08:00

Online gaming distributor Amped Games has recently sealed a partnership with Korean game publisher GPlayon to exclusively market and distribute N-Age in the Philippines.

According to Amped Games product manager Agnes Tapia, GPlayon will manage the technical backbone of N-Age with servers located in the Philippines while Amped Games will provide business direction.

"N-Age is a new massively multiplayer online role playing game that sets a distinctively contemporary urban theme. Users will notice the difference of N-Age’s color and localized background to fit the Philippine local market," Tapia said.

N-Age users are directed to protect a virtual city called “Centerville” by eliminating black-suited minions who try to takeover the metropolis. Users get to interact with other users in the process.

According to Amped Games product officer Julius Salagan, “users will not only experience an exciting MMORPG virtual world in N-Age, they can also buy, sell and trade with other members.”

N-Age offers free membership but users will be required to buy top-up cards from Amped Games priced at 10-500 pesos to experience the full game features. These top-up cards are also used with other MMORPGs distributed by Amped Games including Tantra, WarRock, and Cronous.

Video Creation on the Web

2008-07-05T15:44:00.004+08:00

Online videos have ushered in a new dispensation of Internet landscape, spurring millions to tune in on the Web to watch countless footage and movie clips. Tagging on YouTube’s phenomenal success, a huge number of Web sites have been taking a crack at offering motion picture experience to its users. With a cheap video camera or video phone, you can actually become a video producer overnight by uploading just about whatever videos you want for free to let the world watch your home videos of parties, cute babies or pets, family portraits, and even your nonsense jokes and pranks. What’s more interesting is seeing video junkies taking a further step in the world of online videos. We have rounded up some interesting sites on the Net which allow users to create videos minus the special software. And it’s free!

Media-Convert
Media-Convert can convert audio, image and video files from one file format to another to hasten up you video creation for free. Media-Convert will come in handy with some sites that allow certain video format which may not be compatible with your video phone. With support to almost any media format on earth, there's a good chance Media-Convert can convert serve you needs. Media-Convert can actually convert PDF documents to Adobe Flash (SWF) files, and it even obscurely converts text documents to Morse code.

Movavi Online Convert
Movavi Online offers free online video converter that allows you to upload videos and convert them to formats you wish to use. Movavi Online also allows videos downloaded from YouTube, Google and other video-sharing sites to be converted to AVI, MPEG, MOV, FLV, MP4, 3GP for most widely used cellphones including iPhone and portable media players like iPod. Movavi also converts videos on your local PC without installing new software. Yes, it’s free minus the annoying ads!

Zamzar
Zamzar is an online one stop solution for a comprehensive file conversion needs. It’s actually a web service that converts not just video files but almost any other audio, images and documents to other formats. It has an extensive list of conversion compatibility to transform songs, videos, images and documents into different formats.

JumpCut
Web video creation becomes so easy and fun with Jumpcut. JumpCut is a free Web site that offers online video creation and publishing from scratch. If you want to be creative with your clips and images, Jumpcut has a drag and drop video editor of clips, images, music, sound effects, transitions, and effects which you can play around right on the Web site. JumpCut offers a unique “remixing” feature that allows users to combine their created footage and cool picture slideshow with others. Just a note, Yahoo! recently acquired JumpCut and it seems online video creation will be added to its services for free.

MuveeMix
MuveeMix is a free online video mixing service for user-generated content that allows users to create short personal videos from raw footage, music and pictures. The Web site calls the video files stored on its server as “muvees” with embed links that can be posted straight to MySpace or blog site. MuveeMix automatically creates video mixes and slideshows that trail the beat of chosen sound file or music. It also adds synchronized effects and transitions based on the video creation style that the user picks.

Moblyng
Moblyng is a cool and easy way for users to create and share video content both on the web and to mobile phones for free. Moblyng tries to catch the wave of mobile video buffs. Moblyng’s unique feature is its ability to converts Flash-based widgets for distribution to mobile phones. The Web site has applications that convert web-based photo and slide show widgets and online video from any social media page for cellphones and portable media players.

PhotoBucket
Photobucket is one of the most popular Web sites for uploading and sharing photos, videos, and graphics online. With free accounts that can store thousands of photos and hours of video, Photobucket offers free tools for making slideshows of photos, videos with music.

Hellodeo
Hellodeo sports a simple but interesting Web site interface that allows its users to record videos directly from a webcam and then post them on blog sites or any web page without installing new software. Hellodeo revolutionizes online social interaction with a Web that’s so simple, users are not even required to register or log-in.

Windows XP is Dead

2008-06-30T08:59:00.005+08:00

A wire from the Associated Press with the title "Microsoft to stop selling Windows XP on Monday" (June 30, 2008) carried a story saying that the six-year-old Windows XP meets its eventual end.

Microsoft will cease the sale of its Windows XP operating system. My previous post on the subject in December 2007 materialized as retailers and hardware vendors stop the distribution of the most popular and most bootlegged operating system. Will this mean that PC users who don't want to use the beefy Vista will be forced to drink the juice?

This may be Microsoft's way of clamping down on Windows piracy. Users who want to use XP should buy the higher Vista categories, then "legally downgrade to XP." The software giant is paving the way for the anticipated and more advanced Windows 7 by killing XP.

XP's legacy will still cast a long shadow with the sprouting affordable UMPCs which opt to use XP instead of Vista.

Genius introduces a bluetooth headset with touch panel design

2008-06-26T16:15:00.001+08:00

Genius recently introduced the BT-03i, a Bluetooth headset with a touch panel design that allows users to make calls with a touch panel "phone" icon.

A wireless headset that delivers fashion as well as convenience and comfort, the BT-03i features an advanced CVC (Clear Voice Capture) and a 30mm driver unit that produces powerful audio.

With a Bluetooth working distance of up to 30 feet, the BT-03i supports A2DP Protocol powered by a rechargeable Hi-Polymer Li-ion battery with a USB charger and adaptor.

Priced at P3,790 SRP, the Genius BT-03i is distributed in the Philippines by MSI-ECS.

An Integrated approach to Secure and Manage Endpoints

2008-06-23T16:32:00.009+08:00

This article written by Richard Velasco, Symantec's Senior Technical Consultant for Philippines, was sent to me by Ardent Communications. Richard is responsible for strategic engagements with Symantec customers on their security infrastructure requirements.

Managing the dynamics of endpoint infrastructure is a challenging task. Organizations today need proactive endpoint security measures that can protect against zero-day attacks and unknown threats. With the current threat landscape which is full of stealthy, targeted, and financially motivated attacks, organizations are facing an increasingly complex security environment. Many sophisticated threats can evade traditional security solutions, leaving organizations open to data theft and manipulation, disruption of business, and damage to corporate brand and reputation.

Deploying security solutions individually on each endpoint is not only time-consuming, it also increases IT complexity and costs. Organizations then need to provide management, training, and support for a variety of different endpoint security solutions.

This article outlines a new approach to securing and managing the enterprise endpoint computing environment.

Business problems at the endpoint
The IT department at a typical enterprise these days finds itself fighting some pretty fierce fires:

* Endpoint management costs are increasing The cost of downtime impacts both productivity and revenue. According to a recent study by Infonetics Research, network downtime caused by security attacks is costing large enterprises upwards of US$30 million a year. In addition, the costs to acquire, manage, and administer point products are increasing, as is demand on system resources.
* Complexity is increasing as well The manpower required to manage disparate endpoint protection technologies is inefficient and time-consuming. Also, differing technologies can often work against one another or impede system performance due to high resource consumption.
* Growing number of new known and unknown threats Stealth-based and silent attacks are increasing, so there is a need for antivirus to do much more. The current threat environment is characterized by an increase in data theft and data leakage, and the creation of malicious code that targets specific organizations for information that can be used for financial gain. One gauge of the growing sophistication of attacks is the appearance of blended threats, which integrate multiple attack methods such as worms, Trojan horses, and zero-day threats.

An integrated approach
Antivirus, antispyware, and other signature-based protection measures, which are primarily reactive, may have been sufficient to protect an organization’s vital resources a few years ago, but not today. Organizations now need proactive endpoint security measures that can protect against zero-day attacks and unknown threats. They need to take a structured approach to endpoint security, implementing a solution that not only protects them from threats on all levels, but also provides interoperability, seamless implementation, and centralized management.

Symantec’s approach to endpoint protection provides advanced threat prevention that protects endpoints from targeted attacks as well as attacks not seen before. It includes proactive technologies that automatically analyze application behaviors and network communications to detect and block suspicious activities, as well as administrative control features that allow administrators to deny specific device and application activities deemed as high risk for the organization. They can even block specific actions based on the location of the user. In the case of an infected endpoint, security products repair the damage by disinfecting or quarantining the system. The remediation process is then completed by deploying the necessary patch.

This approach calls for consolidating endpoint protection technologies in a single, integrated agent that can be administered from a central management console. The goal is to increase endpoint protection while eliminating the administrative overhead and costs associated with multiple security products.

Comprehensive protection
Organizations need a holistic approach to endpoint security that protects from threats at all levels. Traditional antivirus and antispyware solutions are no longer enough.

Symantec’s approach boosts protection and lessens overhead and costs of managing endpoint security by providing a single agent administered via a single console. It is an approach that can save organizations time and money while protecting their assets and business.

Canon goes for green technology with environment-friendly products

2008-06-22T16:18:00.002+08:00

Canon Marketing Philippines recently announced its initiative to encourage awareness on current environmental issues by promoting the use of energy-efficient products.

“The company recognizes the critical global issue of environmental concerns. In line with this belief, Canon reiterates its commitment to provide products that lessen energy consumption and are increasingly earth-friendly,” Ramon G. Arteficio, Canon Marketing Philippines President and CEO said

Canon also announced that it has accomplished new product modifications and enhancements that are designed to lower energy consumption and increase recyclable materials including new automatic shut-off functions, decreasing warm-up period features, enhancing reusable plastic, and implementing an environmental information system in stages of product development.

“Complying with international standards of environmental preservation, Canon’s latest line of scanners, fax machines, copiers, and inkjet printers have gained the seal of Japan’s Eco Mark and USA’s Energy Star,” Arteficio said.

Arteficio also said that the company maintains close relationships with various organizations that promote environmental conservation.

Epson unveils new line of low-priced printers designed for back-to-school season

2008-06-19T16:19:00.001+08:00

To address the need of students for affordable yet high quality digital imaging tools, Epson Philippines recently introduced its latest line of printers priced and designed for the entry-level users and first-time buyers.

The new line of low-cost Epson printers include the Stylus T10 (PhP2,195 SRP) and TX200 and TX400 stand-alone All-in-One models. All printers are equipped with Epson's innovative four-color individual ink cartridge system that significantly cuts ink costs because users will replace depleted ink cartridges separately.

Ed Bonoan, Epson Philippines Senior General Manager and Division Head for Sales and Marketing said, “we wanted to dispel the notion that only great artists using expensive printers and scanners can produce quality pictures and prints. With our new line of printers, students and other entry-level users can now afford professional-quality digital imaging tools for their school and recreation needs."

Multiply.com ventures on Philippine market with ABS-CBN

2008-06-18T16:20:00.002+08:00

Multiply.com founder and president Peter Pezaris, ABS-CBN Interactive managing director Paolo Pineda, and Multiply.com vice president for business development David Hersh brief the press before the announcement of Multiply.com and ABS-CBN's partnership at the Rockwell Tent, Makati City on June 18, 2008. (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN Interactive)

Leading U.S.-based social networking web site Multiply.com recently announced its partnership with ABS-CBN Interactive in a bid to seize new business opportunities and create more online advertising revenue from the Philippines.

In a press briefing held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati City last June 18, Multiply.com founder and president Peter Pezaris confirmed that his company has signed up an exclusive marketing deal with ABS-CBN Interactive to sell Multiply.com online ad in the country.

Pezaris said that Multiply.com is currently one of the world’s largest multimedia sharing web sites with more than 9 million users worldwide who post about two million photos, 19,000 videos and 55,000 blog entries everyday.

Paolo Pineda, ABS-CBN Interactive managing director said “with currently more than 2.2 million members that has signed up from the country, Multiply.com is the fastest-growing and one of the most popular social networks in the Philippines."

According to web traffic analyzer Alexa.com, Multiply.com is currently the top 5 most visited web site in the Philippines generating more than a million page views everyday.

Pineda said that advertisement from the Philippines will only serve users from the country. He added that ABS-CBN’s extensive advertisement network will provide the revenue for Multiply.com.

David Hersh, Multiply.com vice president for business development said that a large number of members in the Philippines are engaging in online retail business through Multiply.com. “This is something that is unique about Philippine members that we can explore with ABS-CBN,” Hersh said.

Launched in 2004, Multiply.com’s online services provide free personal web site that allows peer-based sharing of photos, blogs, videos, and other digital content.

ABS-CBN Interactive manages the Internet operations of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines.

Blu-Ray gears up to conquer optical disc domain

2008-06-17T16:09:00.001+08:00

The second half of 2008 should be a challenge as well as a blissful ground for Sony’s Blu-Ray as major studios that previously released HD-DVDs zero in on Blu-Ray Disc format.

Sony’s strategy leveled up Blu-Ray’s position in seeding on PlayStation3 with Blu-Ray discs and controlling major TV and movie content-distribution channels. The announcement of motion picture giant Warner Brothers early this year that it will exclusively release its productions in Blu-Ray has stirred excitement in the industry, bringing the whole pack of Hollywood studios to throw their weight behind Blu-ray and also announce the dumping of HD-DVD. It’s a big blow for Toshiba to step down and finally end the manufacture of HD-DVD gears. As a result, Blu-Ray eventually sets up to become the industry’s standard for high-density optical discs.

Blu-Ray is now up for the challenge to push for market acceptance and ignite the home entertainment industry that shows a slowing down due to piracy. We now expect to see Blu-Ray devices to pop-up to enhance our movie viewing and burning delights.

What is Blu-Ray?
Blu-ray, also called “Blu-Ray Disc” or simply BD, is the more contemporary optical disc media designed for high-definition video and data storage following on the path of legacy CD and DVD formats. The term “Blu-ray” comes from the innovative blue laser used to read and write a new type of disc that can store 25-50 GB of data as compared to about 5-9 GB of DVDs. Bigger capacity will mean more stored data and generally higher quality images and sound for high-definition movies. Hitachi, TDK and Panasonic recently announced a 100GB four-layered Blu-ray Disc for movie content and data archives. This will mean that the whole 100 GB of data stored on a PC can be backed up in just one of those discs.

Developed by a group of consumer electronics and motion picture companies led by Sony, Blu-Ray drives are designed to be backward compatible to play DVD and CD formats.

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 200 Series

2008-06-15T15:22:00.000+08:00

Geared up to accelerate heavy graphics tasks while delivering exciting visual experience, NVIDIA recently unleashed its latest GeForce GTX 200 graphics cards series with the company’s new flagship GeForce G200 GPU (graphics processing unit). Manufactured using 65nm process technology featuring an unprecedented amount of transistors for higher performance and enhanced PC gaming performance, the G200 GPU holds 1.4 billion transistors on its 240 unified shader/stream processors (on GTX 280) with re-designed thread dispatch processor, 80 texture units (80 texture address, 80 texture filtering units), 32 render back ends as well as 512-bit memory controller supporting PCI Express 2.0 platform.

The new family of GTX 200 graphics cards include the GTX 280 and GTX 260, all equipped with a new version of the NV IO controller that supports D-Sub, dual-link DVI, DisplayPort, and TV-Out. Other feature highlights of the GTX 280 include 1296MHz processor clock, 1GB GDDR3 standard memory configuration with 1107MHz memory clock, 512-bit memory interface width, and 141.7GB/sec memory bandwidth. The GTX 260 clutches 192 processor cores, 576MHz graphics clock, 1242MHz processor clock, 999MHz memory clock, 896MB GDDR3 standard memory configuration, 448-bit memory interface width, and 111.9GB/sec memory bandwidth.

The GTX 280 and GTX 260 include the second generation NVIDIA Unified Architecture, which delivers more gaming performance over previous NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra through improved 240 processor cores for an enhanced shading horsepower at resolutions as high as 2560 x 1600 dpi.

NVIDIA’s new 3-way SLI and PureVideo HD technologies are built in the GTX 280 and GTX 260 for implementing 3-way alternate frame rendering dubbed “the world’s fastest gaming solution under Windows Vista.” The new GTX 200 series is also set to support the groundbreaking NVIDIA CUDA technology, which now allows programmers to write applications and tinker on the GPU.

Motorola launches ‘MOTO MashUP’ campaign for new music mobile phones

2008-06-13T22:43:00.000+08:00

Motorola recently introduced its latest marketing theme dubbed “MOTO MASHUP” to promote the company's latest mobile phones that are designed with advanced multimedia capabilities.

The MASHUP campaign features collaborations of popular international and local artists including Cars, DJ Fun Avy, Top Suzara and Radha to form a new blending of unique music from electropop, techno, cool rock and R&B genres.

The W230 and MotoROKR E8 are the new models that are highlighted in the theme. Designed with a dedicated MP3 player key, the W230 features 2GB memory capacity and an FM radio tuner. The ROKR E8 includes Windows Media Player 11, FM tuner, and ModeShift technology that allows a quick transition from phone to MP3 player to imaging device.

Other Motorola mobile phones included in the MOTO MASHUP campaign are E8, E6, V8, V9, Q8, Q9, Z6, K1, W360, W510 and W375. Track downloads for MASHUP phones are available at www.motomashup.com.ph.

Everex Cloudbook

2008-06-13T22:16:00.000+08:00

SRP:Php20,000
Everex lives up to its commitment to provide customers with high-performance, highly-affordable technology, simple and durable enough to be used in everyday life with the Everex CloudBook, a new Ultra Mobile Portable Computer designed to run Linux or Windows OS that will try to compete with other UMPCs on the market such as the Asus Eee PC, the OLPC and the Intel ClassMate. Just under 1Kg, the CloudBook's dimensions (WxDxH) are only 9.06" x 6.73 x 1.16" .Powered by a VIA C7 ULV 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM30GB hard drive, the CloudBook is featured with a built-in WiFi, 1.3MP webcam, speakers and 4-in-1 card reader, and Ethernet,DVI and two USB ports.

Display: 7" WVGA 800 x 480
Casing Color: Silver, Black
CPU: VIA C7-M ULV 1.2 GHz
Memory: 512MB DDR2
Display Card: VIA UniChrome Pro IGP
Storage: 30GB
Card Reader: 4-in1SD, MMC, MSPRO
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: 802.11b/g
Camera: Built-in 0.3MP
Input/Output: 2 USB, RJ45 Ethernet, DVI-I, earphone/mic
OS: Ubuntu, gOS Rocket
Dimensions: 23 × 17 × 3 cm (WHD)
Weight: 0.91 Kg

UltraMobile Dell XPS M1330

2008-06-11T22:46:00.003+08:00

Weighing just under 1.8kg and featuring an ultra thin 0.9-inch profile, the premium ultra-portable world's thinnest 13.3" notebook Dell XPS M1330 doesn't minimize power or connectivity.

Priced at PhP84,995 (SRP), standard features include a high definition 13.3-inch display, slot-load optical drive, full-sized keyboard, sophisticated touch sensitive media buttons, and HDMI support.

Performance enthusiasts will appreciate the nVidia discrete graphics, integrated fingerprint reader and webcam and dual digital microphones.

The XPS M1330 is powered by high-performance Intel Core 2 Duo processors and comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate.

Additional features include: Choice of colors, including Tuxedo Black, Crimson Red and Midnight Blue; 13.3" widescreen high definition display with TrueLife for crisp and vivid images (WXGA1280×800); High performance NVIDIA® GeForce Go 8400M graphics with 128MB dedicated memory; Dell Media Direct and Instant Office technology for fast, one-button access to videos, music or photos, calendar and contacts; Standard 802.11g Wi-fi networking a/g/n; Standard slot-load DVD+/- RW with dual layer capability; Standard integrated 8-in-1 media card reader to enable easy transfer of content from digital devices. Other ports include HDMI, two USB ports, IEEE 1394a, dual headphone jacks; Standard integrated webcam with dual digital microphones and noise-isolation ear buds; Standard consumer travel remote that stores in system Express Card slot; Standard 6-cell lithium-ion battery; Fingerprint reader for security and convenience.

Display: 13.3" WXGA 1280 x 800
Casing Color: Red, Silver Black
CPU: Intel Core2Duo 1.6-2.6GHz
Memory: 1-4GB DDR2
Display Card: nVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
Storage: Up to 200GB3, Up to 160GB3 SATA, Up to 64GB SSD, DVD Burner
Card Reader: 8-in-1
Audio: Built-in mic/speakers
Wireless: Atheros 802.11a/b/g with dual antenna, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Bluetoot
Camera: Built-in 0.3Mp
Input/Output: 2 USB ports, Firewire, RJ45 Ethernet, (x2) dual digital array mics
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate
Dimensions: 12.5” x 9.4” x 1.33” (WHD)
Weight: 1.8 Kg

ICT can still do more for RP’s healthcare sector -- experts

2008-05-02T19:38:00.005+08:00

This article is a report of CyberPress after the organization's ICT in Philippine Health Sector held in Makati City on May 2007. Cyberpress, also known as the I.T. Journalists Association of the Philippines is an organization of I.T. reporters in the country established in 1996.

Although the public and private sectors are using information and communications technology (ICT) on contrasting levels, both agree that innovative technologies could serve as a tool for bridging the country’s yawning health gap.

At the CyberPress Forum held recently at the iAcademy auditorium in Makati City, experts from the industry said ICT is transforming the way healthcare is provided in the country for both the underfunded public health facilities and state-of-the-art private medical centers and hospitals.

Dr. Alvin Marcelo, director of the National Telehealth Center in UP Manila, said "telemedicine" modalities such as text messaging, multimedia messaging system (MMS), voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) can help serve far-flung areas where the availability of doctors and health professionals is scarce.

Marcelo said 50 percent of Filipinos die without ever seeing a doctor in their lifetime. ICT, he said, could partly solve the problem.

Marcelo said the National Telehealth Center has been pushing for "the ethical, effective and efficient delivery of healthcare to underserved communities of the Philippines" using all available technology that is mostly based on open source platform.

The center, established by the University of the Philippines' board of regents in 1998 as an attached agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is based at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), is also mandated to "design and develop IT-based solutions that will provide primary health care to local communities served,” he said.

He said the deployment of ICT is crucial at this time when the Philippines is caught between the "migration of health care workers to other countries and the severe lack of health care providers in many parts of the country because of the remoteness of the
underserved areas."

Marcelo said there has been a "disintegration of the health care system's public sector component because of devolution, which put local governments in charge of health care funding and personnel management."

ICT, he said, "can help reintegrate the system" by bringing together a network of doctors and healthcare workers in remote or underserved communities and linking them with doctors in urban areas who can help diagnose and treat provincial patients using mobile phones, the Internet and, in cases where the remote area also suffers a lack of electricity, radio communication.

In 2005, the Commission on ICT (CICT), through the E-Government fund, awarded a grant to the National TeleHealth Center so it could "design and develop ten telehealth and telementoring systems" in the provinces of Cagayan Valley, Capiz Province, Leyte and Iligan, where the UP Manila medical school has satellite facilities.

However, Marcelo admitted that the set-up initially failed to reach its goals of providing remote telemedicine to the selected areas. The system took off only after barrio doctors "shifted to SMS teleferrals" that make use of "simpler technology and have less need for tech support."

Under the National Telehealth Center, patient records are compiled and kept using open-source software, which Marcelo said is easy-to-use, customizable, and capable of generating standard reports for local, provincial and regional patients, including PhilHealth components.

The center also offers e-learning in the form of a collection of formal and non-formal courses such as masters of science in health informatics; geographic information systems for health leaders; e-health project management and; e-learning for community health. The modules are taught by distance learning using VoIP, cellular phone, radio, or whatever means is available.

For the side of the private sector, De Los Santos-STI MegaClinic administrative director Jose Ronaldo De Los Santos said that unlike government-run institutions, local private medical hospitals are globally competitive in terms of modern equipment.

He said this is what is needed to stay in the business since “never in the history of healthcare that IT has been as important as medical expertise and specialized medical equipment.”

Apart from looking towards utilizing ICT to exploit new opportunities such as medical transcription, De Los Santos said ICT is also becoming instrumental the country a medical tourism haven like Singapore and Thailand.

De Los Santos-STI MegaClinic is working to ensure that it is compliant with the United States' Healthcare Information Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act of 1996, "which is what we need to meet if we are to make the Philippines a medical tourism destination."

HIPAA calls for the digitization of patient data, which must be transcribed from doctors' dictated recordings and put in a text format that is accessible across all types of computer systems.

"We are now digitizing about 20 years' worth of medical records to the patients' financial records... We are going into a paperless setup where the patient is registered digitally in an (offsite) database," he said.

Doctors see patients at their clinic based on a "digital queuing system", which is linked a computer network that De Los Santos said allows doctors to simply "type his prescription into the computer and click on the tests he is prescribing for the patient, as well as (encode) the diagnosis. Our patients also get their lab results sooner, over the Internet, by email, "making diagnosis quicker and more efficient -- in many cases detecting diseases earlier so patients can seek less expensive and more timely treatment.

With this system, billing procedures are also faster and more accurate, he added. "The cashier will know what the patient needs to pay for thanks to the queue." Patients can also obtain copies of their data, including x-rays, cranial axial tomography (CAT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and other images that we can give the patients on optical discs such as CDs and DVDs.

De Los Santos said the megaclinic is working toward obtaining "optical character recognition technology to make every word (in a patient's medical records) a searchable record," meaning each word in the document acts like a hyperlink that automatically allows access to other cross-referenced data within the same set of records.

However, he said the constraint "is cost, though there is a need for such data mining capability so doctors will have better and quicker access to their patient records."

"All records - patients' data like digital images and financial records with our facility are stored off-site, so if something happens to the facility, records can be recovered," he added.

Mobile Devices boom in 2008

2008-01-24T19:10:00.000+08:00

The year 2007 has brought tremendous developments in personal computing technologies. Mobile computing was on the rise last year with sales figures indicating that notebooks swiped over desktops, which now tend to be more compact and stylish compared to the traditional tower-design casings with bulky displays. The upsurge of stronger mobile technologies promises to even create a hotter stage for mobile systems in 2008.

The launching of the Apple iPhone last year has definitely created a stir on the mobile devices arena that will eventually trigger a tsunami of technology innovations this year. One of the most interesting news in 2008 will be the dawning of Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) with enhanced and longer battery life for improved wireless Internet access, instant messaging, mobile blogging, and mobile video.

Intel recently announced the formation of the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance to further develop device power management, wireless communications, and software integration that are associated with delivering improved internet services for MIDs and UMPCs. Intel is set to introduce the Silverthorne processor designed for a new caste of mobile PCs smaller than notebooks and built with more features than mobile phones.

Ushering in a new era of wireless technology that promises to make smart mobile devices smarter, Google recently announced the spearheading of the Open Handset Alliance which is expected to bring together various mobile device vendors and wireless service providers in creating new mobile gadgets that will virtually work on all wireless networks.

Mac versus Windows versus Linux

2008-01-03T19:12:00.001+08:00

Is Windows XP set to call off in 2008? Are we seeing the retirement of Windows XP this year? Our observation shows that new PC systems are now offered with bundled Windows Vista. This may be Microsoft’s clever route to tumble down XP and make way for its latest operating system though it is initially perceived as too heavy and beefy. Even so, Windows will continue to enjoy the lion’s share in the PC operating system market as users largely remain skeptical of Mac and Linux.

Strengthening its hold on Mac users with the release of the Mac OS X Leopard alongside with what is seen as stable and dependable Tiger, the New Year brings Apple to gain more ground over the Windows commune. As iPod and iPhone’s circle of light draws users to shift to Mac computers, Apple’s market share on consumer products over Microsoft will keep on stepping up.

With Ubuntu’s creative efforts in building the path into PCs, the desktop Linux is slowly being recognized in the mainstream. The integration of Linux-based operating system on Asus EeePCs has created a buzz that you need not to be a tech nerd to have fun with such a difficult OS.

Multi-brain CPUs sprout like wildfire

2008-01-02T19:13:00.000+08:00

Last year, leading chipmakers Intel and Advanced Micro Devices have introduced powerful dual core processors to mainstream PCs, which has essentially become the blueprint for all their multi-brains on single silicon chips. In 2008, quad-core processors with low-power consumption will be sprouting like wildfire.

Home PCs evolve to Servers

2008-01-01T19:14:00.000+08:00

Terrabyte content explosion will continue to expand in 2008. Massive storage devices will become a hotter category pick for photos, music, and video files. The home PC will eventually evolve as “catch-all server” that will literally connect to TVs and other media devices.

Web-based apps draw users to go online

2007-12-31T16:24:00.000+08:00

With a vast number of new web-based applications featured impressive functions that practically match the most used PC software, recent developments in online apps have provided users with a new landscape on locally installed programs on the PC. As online access become faster and easier, users are now turning away from the usual local PC applications to the Internet to do their computing tasks right on the web browser.

Adobe unleashes CS3 in Manila

2007-12-15T19:21:00.002+08:00

Enhancing world-class Filipino creativity
Adobe Systems' country manager for South East Asia Raymond Lee explains how Filipino creative and design professionals, who are among the most creative in the region, can benefit from the newly-released Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Master Collection at a roadshow in Manila last October 2. The industry's most comprehensive collection of integrated cross-platform post-production software tools would help video professionals deliver stunning results for film, broadcast, DVD, Web and mobile devices. Adobe Production Premium integrates time-saving workflow technologies with the milestone releases of Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, Adobe Encore CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Soundbooth CS3, which can also be purchased as stand-alone applications.

Innovista, Netgear announce partnership

2007-12-15T19:19:00.003+08:00

Innovista Technologies Inc. recently announced its partnership with NetGear in a media briefing in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. NetGear is a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products since 1996 with a goal of becoming be the preferred customer-driven provider of innovative networking solutions for small businesses and homes.

Innovista is a Philippine distributor of major PC systems, peripherals, and networking brands including the NetGear line of products.

Adopt individual, not collective, takeback scheme, IT firms told

2007-12-04T19:26:00.008+08:00

This article was originally posted on the Cyberpress web site the organization's Greent I.T. forum in November 2007. Cyberpress, also known as the I.T. Journalists Association of the Philippines is an organization of I.T. reporters in the country established in 1996.

Precisely because they know what substance they put into their own products, local subsidiaries of IT companies were urged by an environmental group to assume the responsibility of getting their junk products individually and not rely on the government’s effort to gather them on a collective basis.

At the recent CyberPress Forum held at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City, Greenpeace Philippines said tech firms such as PC and mobile phone makers have the moral, if not legal, obligation to recover and recycle their electrical and electronic wastes.

Representatives of IT companies who took part in the conference did not make an issue with the proposal, with top executives of computer producers Lenovo and IBM saying they would suggest to their headquarters to implement an individual takeback scheme in the country.

For its part, Board of Investment director Domingo Bagaporo said the government recognizes the merits of the suggestion and will thus consider it as the trade department winds up its cellphone waste collection and recycling program. The pilot project, which has Glorietta, Greenhills, and SM Megamall as collection points, will run up to December 31.

Beau Baconguis, toxic tech waste campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines, said a “takeback" policy is one of the crucial criteria that the group uses in rating the environmental-friendliness of a technology company.

In the recent quarterly issue of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, game consoles came out as the least environment-friendly electronic gadgets because of its lack of takeback policy. The report, first launched in August 2006 and rates PC and mobile phone manufacturers on their environmental practices, was expanded to include gaming consoles and television sets.

Video game market leader Nintendo lands at the bottom of the ranking guide with a score of zero out of a possible 10 points, followed by TV manufacturer Philips (2.0), and Microsoft (2.7). The global games consoles sector is the fastest growing sector of the electronics industry and is dominated by only three companies, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

The new edition of the quarterly guide also shows important changes at the top of the ranking. Sony Ericsson has now taken the top spot, followed by Samsung, and Sony. Nokia, which has held the top spot since June 2007, has slid down to number nine, and, along with Motorola has been given penalty points.

During the forum, it appeared that the Philippines does not have a definitive law or clear-cut policy governing e-waste and recycling of electronic products.

IT stalwart Gus Lagman commented that the country does not even have a junkyard where harmful components of technology products can be processed safely.

The head of Sun Microsystems Philippines, another tech vendor, noted that although the government has embarked on some initiatives in addressing e-waste, a lot more needs to be done in terms of keeping the pressure on electronic companies to observe proper waste disposal and recycling.

Sun, along with EMC Philippines, revealed that they have the studied these environmental issues early on and have implemented energy-saving features that can maximize power resources.

First 1GB on board graphics card launched by Palit

2007-12-04T01:44:00.001+08:00

Taiwan-based Palit Microsystems recently introduced what is touted as “the world’s first on board 1GB memory graphics processor.” I was invited in a media briefing on December 3 at MyCinema Greenblet 3, Makati City where the NVIDIA-chipset based Palit GeForce 8500GT Super+1GB was launched to the Philippine market.

According to nVidia executives from Taiwan who was also present during the product launch, the new 8500GT is packed with actually 1024MB king size memory which can boost heavy graphics computing performance and save bandwidth on the memory capacity bottleneck.

The 8500GT is based on PCI Express platform with 128-bit memory interface and a rated 400MHz RAMDACs. RAMDACs (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converters) is a display adapter’s memory that stores the color palettes to enhance color displays. So the more color a RAMDAC can process, the better.

CyberPress elects new set of officers for 2007-2008

2007-10-15T13:29:00.005+08:00

The Information Technology Journalists Association of the Philipppines Inc. (CyberPress) has recently named its new officers in a general assembly held at Clark, Pampanga.

Elected to the 2007-2008 board of officers were: Melvin Calimag of Manila Bulletin (re-elected president), Jing Garcia of Manila Times (vice president for internal affairs), Red Samar of Manila Bulletin (vice president for external affairs), Jenalyn Rubio of Computerworld Philippines (secretary), Rory Visco of Business Mirror (finance committee head), Lawrence Casiraya of Inquirer.net (membership committee head ) and Marlon Magtira of PC Buyer's Guide (election and constitutional amendments officer).

The following sectoral representatives were also appointed by the board: Tom Noda of Computerworld Philippines (trade publication), Edwin Sallan of Manila Bulletin (print) and Erwin Oliva of Inquirer.net (online).

The new board of officers, under the leadership of its president, looks forward to a fruitful year, with several initiatives already lined-up for the first quarter of its new term.

Established in 1996, CyberPress is the pioneering organization of IT writers in the country working together to achieve common goals of promoting responsible journalism in the IT beat, educating the public about technological developments and industry issues, and fostering better appreciation for technology while cultivating a harmonious IT ecosystem in the country.

Edimax brings new wireless solutions to RP

2007-10-11T22:58:00.001+08:00

Edimax, in cooperation with its Philippine partner, PC Trends Inc. launched its new line of nMax wireless solutions for the Philippine market in a two-part event held last October 11 dubbed “Get Connected”, which included a press briefing at the Tropezz Bar in Greenbelt, Makati City and a dealers’ night party at the Teatrino Bar in Greenhills, San Juan.

The new wireless solutions from Edimax bring in three new wireless routers and two new print servers in the nMax Wireless series with the following features: Next generation of standard 11n; IEEE802.11n Drat 2.0 (2.4GHz); Up to 300Mbps transfer rate, six times faster than standard g; Faster than wired LAN Connection; Average throughput over 100Mbps, 70Mbpas for fast Ethernet; Backward compatibility with b/g; and advanced MIMO technology 2Tx3R to cover corner dead spots and improve wireless coverage.

The new nMax wireless routers from Edimax include BR-6504n with detachable antenna, BR-6315Sg fro P2p download, and EW-7318USg with 4dBi detachable antenna, while the new print servers in the series include PS-1206MF All-in-One and PS-1216U GDI. The new nMax line is designed for a user-friendly hassle-free usage with improved user interface and quick setting wizard.

Robert Wong, PC Trends Marketing Manager said that “it’s a monumental event for all of us because this is the first time that Edimax will be launching a different series of products. When information is immediately available at a press of a key as it transcends geographical boundaries and crosses time zones, the question is how do we embrace new information and Edimax practically has all the answers for that.”

With the new nMax Wirless series, Wong said that “Edimax is living up to its mission – Networking People Together. Edimax is committed to bringing the advantages of the latest networking technologies to end users by offering the best prices, including performance products and solutions.”

Hunter Chen, Sales Director of Taiwan-based Edimax, manufacturer of a broad range of networking products including solutions for wireless connectivity, print servers, xDSL routers, etehernet switches, PoE, network access controllers, load balancer, IP camera, VoIP and media converters, said that “Edimax is a market leading brand that provides quality goods and services that are reliable but with lower acquiring cost than other top brands for those who require faster wireless connectivity in home, internet cafes and hot spot shops.”

AXIGEN enters Philippine market with IPSystems Inc.

2007-08-10T19:48:00.005+08:00

AXIGEN, a major mail server vendor recently announced its bid to enter the Philippines in agreement with IPSYSTEMS Inc. as distributor.

IPSYSTEMS Inc. provides services in engineering and designing, installing, commissioning, and repairing of computer systems for the past ten years. The company also offers custom-made Linux packages based on individual client’s requirements.

In a recent press statement, AXIGEN CEO Oana Bornaz said, "We are pleased to have made our way to the Philippines. Given our partner's extensive knowledge of the local market, we are confident we will increase AXIGEN Mail Server awareness within the Philippine business environment. Local organizations will thus have better access to a state-of-the-art range of technologies developed by AXIGEN. The AXIGEN Mail Server has recently won the ServerWatch 2007 Product Excellence Award for the Communications Server category, after having competed with four other messaging solutions, Zimbra, CommuniGate, Merak and Lotus."

Patricia B. Celis, Vice President of IPSYSTEMS Inc. said, "Our new and valuable partnership agreement with AXIGEN is an affirmation of our corporate mission, which is to continuously provide the Linux advantage to corporate organizations in the Philippines. We are confident and highly appreciative that this partnership will result in a continuous satisfaction for our clients, due to the secure and innovative solutions provided by AXIGEN."

Based on a multiplatform architecture, the AXIGEN Mail Server (version 4.0), runs on several Linux and BSD distributions, on Solaris and PowerPC and signed technology partnerships with Sun Microsystems, RedHat, IBM and Avira. Currently, AXIGEN products are distributed by a network of 90 partners worldwide, as the distribution network has been increased by 60 percent in the first five months of 2007.

Established in 2003 in Bucharest, Romania, AXIGEN technology research and software security company developed AXIGEN Mail Server, an internet security messaging solution. AXIGEN integrates SMTP/POP/IMAP and WebMail and offers a unique configuration and security that allow system administrators to have full control of the email traffic.

The first commercial version of AXIGEN for Linux distribution was unveiled at LinuxWorld Expo, in London, in September 2005. One year after the official launch, AXIGEN has concluded business agreements with more than 90 domestic and international partners from over 50 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands and Romania and manages e-mail traffic for approximately 500,000 mailboxes worldwide.

Established in 1998 in the Philippines, IPSYSTEMS Inc. is a Linux solutions provider specializing in Open Source technologies for server requirements of companies in the country, including integration, development and maintenance.

Yahoo! Launches a New Mobile Service in RP

2007-04-26T16:07:00.001+08:00

Yahoo! Inc. unveiled a new feature designed for users who want to take Internet content and services on their mobile phones. Dubbed "Yahoo! Go for Mobile", the new service is the mobile version of Yahoo! Go, a suite of free products and services with personal information manager (PIM) functionality including E-mail, search engine, calendar, messaging, photo album, and address book.

This new Yahoo! feature was formally launched for Philippine users last April 25 at the Be Connect Internet cafe, Greenbelt 4, Makati City with Reza Behnam and Larry Jordan, Yahoo! Southeast Asia Managing Director and Product Management Director, respectively.

Jordan said that "Yahoo! Go for Mobile is a step towards connecting Internet users in the Philippines to Yahoo! services on their mobile phones."

Yahoo! Go for Mobile allows users to upload pictures taken from their mobile phone to Yahoo! Photos, and also sign up for a new account and check their E-mail from the mobile device.

The new service is initially available for selected Nokia handsets, including the N70, 6680, 6681, 6630, 7610, 6670 and the 6600, which will get Yahoo! Go for Mobile preinstalled.

Behnam said, "The Philippines is important to Yahoo," and "the company aims to make the Internet more relevant to the local users."

Yahoo! has recently clinched a partnership with Smart and Globe mobile service providers to offer new mobile content and services including SMS alerts and WAP services to Yahoo users in the Philippines.

With more localized content relevant to Filipino web surfers, a new facelift of the Yahoo! Philippines homepage ( www.yahoo.com.ph ) was also unveiled during the launch. Geared for local net aficionados, the Yahoo! Philippines portal further integrates local versions of Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Mail, News, Entertainment, and Sports.

Multi-Core shift

2007-01-19T02:33:00.000+08:00

Here comes a new advent of multi-core processors. Many devices are now running applications that require a level of performance that has exceeded the capability of single-core processors. Built with two or more processors that have been integrated into one package for an enhanced computing performance with less power consumption, multi-core technology is the latest in the new generation of top of the line PCs and gaming systems.

Computer chip manufacturers including Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are set to shape the current PC and server landscape with dual and new quad core CPUs (central processing units). Sony and Microsoft have also integrated multi-core technologies with the latest gaming consoles. Squeezing in more brainpowers in a single slot, this will promise faster processing of information for current applications that demand high computing power especially for the business and gaming segment.

The latest gaming consoles are geared for displaying more advanced and crispier real-life like graphics. Sony Play Station 3 clutches eight SPUs (synergistic processor units) and Microsoft Xbox 360 is built with three-core processing units.

A recently released statement from Intel points out that “in addition to new levels of performance,” multi-core processors will provide users “multitasking capabilities that enhance the way they create, experience and enjoy digital entertainment.” Intel Core 2 Quad processors are specifically designed to multitask in playing high-definition videos while running graphics intensive software applications.

Similarly, new AMD multi-core processors promise to improve “system efficiency and application performance for computers running multiple applications at the same time.”

AMD affirms that multi-core processors are essential in the current “demands of complex 3D simulations, streaming media files, added levels of security, more sophisticated user interfaces, larger databases, and more on-line users.” Dual-core AMD 64 and quad-core Opteron new-generation processors are designed to provide “sufficient resources to handle most compute intensive tasks in parallel.”

As the developments in digital data processing and online information access expand, multi-core processors represent a giant leap in computing technology. Businesses and home users will continue to require higher performance and productivity beyond single-core processing.

New Epson Philippines President

2006-07-24T14:31:00.001+08:00

Epson Philippines Corporation introduced Hideto Nakamura as the company’s new president in a press briefing held at the Shangri-la Hotel Makati on July 24,2006. Nakamura, who assumed office replacing Keita Fujiwara last April, said that Epson Philippines will give more focus on the corporate segment of the local market in the company’s current fiscal year. Before the introduction, Jino Alvarez, Assistant General Manager for sales and marketing, John Titan, Assistant General Manager for corporate products, and Randy Kanapi, Marketing Group Head briefed the media people on the current state of the company.

Contact Info

2005-01-02T21:48:00.000+08:00

TechDrive Philippines
31-B Victory Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines

E-mail: techdriveph [at] gmail.com

About TechDrive Philippines

2005-01-02T20:49:00.007+08:00

Thanks for making it here.

No, it’s not just about cars. This blog is all about my urge to get a hold of technology. I'm attempting to provide a comprehensive coverage of the latest and hottest technology-related news, issues and trends in the country. In-depth reports on interesting topics in the Information and Communications Technology landscape are also featured in this blog, delivered by Marlon C. Magtira, an I.T. reporter in the Philippines.

Just in case you want to know, my email address is magtira [at] gmail.com .

LifeBook S6220: Cutting-edge Mobility

2004-11-23T11:44:00.004+08:00

Pros: 1.65kg lightweight, swappable modular bay options, enhanced security features for data and hardware protection
Cons: resolution does not go beyond 1024 x 768 pixels

Fujitsu entices notebook users like me with LifeBook S6220's cutting-edge mobility features including a Dual Antenna wi-fi connection that allows you to efficiently access and communicate information. This allows me to access office resources anytime and almost anywhere. The LifeBook S6220's swappable modular bay options with the DVD±RW multimedia drive, which can be swapped to house a second battery, erases my worries of low-batt situations.

Its ultra-portable magnesium alloy 1.65 Kg lightweight structure and sleek-and-slim chassis lives up to its promise of total mobility without the hefty machine in my bag. This smart-looking notebook runs on Intel Centrino Mobile Technology Pentium M processor 735 1.7GHz, 512 MB DDR (expandable up to 2GB) is wrapped with light-and-dark silver matte finish alongside fashionable curves with bright 13.3” XGA TFT display that is capable of outdoor viewing.

This LifeBook S6220 features an integrated 64MB Intel Extreme Graphics 2 with DVMT (Dynamic Video Memory Technology) video capabilities maximizing graphics video and display performance. DVMT dynamically responds to application requirement and efficiently allocates the proper amount of memory for optimal graphics and system performance.

What I liked most about the LifeBook S6220 is the massive 80GB HDD because it allows me to archive a sea of mpeg, avi, and mp3 files and Fujitsu’s unique security options features for enhanced data and hardware protection. The LifeBook S6220’s communication connectors include 2 USB 2.0, VGA (external display), RJ45 (LAN), PS/2 for keyboard/mouse extension, PC Card Type I/II, 56K V.923 modem , 4Mbps IrDA 1.1, and Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 network connection 802.11b.

With its power-packed set of features, I would definitely recommend the Lifebook S6220 which is almost making a category of its own raising it above in the competition.