24/7 Banking Convenience with BPI

Online banking has really brought so much convenience to depositors these days.

I remember what it was like in the 80s. If you walked into a bank's branch, the first thing you'd notice is that the area allocated to backroom operations was so much larger than the area for its depositors. Signature cards were contained in several, long metal file containers; deposit slips were filled out in duplicate or triplicate and different types of checks (on us, local, regional, out of town checks) would require different, color-coded deposit slips; and perhaps the biggest inconvenience was that you could only transact from Monday to Friday and oftentimes, only till 3:30 pm. Clearly, banking processes then were designed more for the banking institutions rather than for the depositing public.

Fast forward to today and we see all banks having some kind of online presence. But even then, not all banks are the same. More banks are better at bringing greater convenience to its depositors than others. In my personal experience, having banked with several banks over my lifetime, BPI's 24/7 online banking channels are among the best, if not the best.

Samsung's Concept Store at Robinsons Magnolia

My very first trek to the newly opened Robinsons Magnolia mall in Quezon City was for the launch of Samsung's concept store.

With Odette Velarde of Samsung and friend Noemi Dado at the launch

Celebrities at the ribbon cutting ceremony

A Peek inside the Concept Store

The Samsung Concept Store is located on the al fresco area of the mall on the 3rd floor. At first, Noemi and I got lost and thought the Samsung store inside the mall on the same level was it. Apparently that one was just for mobile phones.

Upon entering the store, we found that it contained all the appliances one would need for the home. We saw the inverter airconditioners, washing machines and refrigerators which we had previously seen up close in another event. My post on that is HERE.

But the star of the event on that launch was Samsung's series of Smart TVs for 2012.

The Samsung plasma TV sets

These TV product offerings center around 3 'Smart' pillars: Smart Interaction, Smart Content and Smart Evolution.

Smart Interaction

Why even use a remote? Many times, I get frustrated looking for the remote especially when someone does not put it back in its place. With the Smart Interaction technology, the TV set itself detects your hand. There are no more boundaries between the TV screen and you. Motion Control, Voice Control and Face Recognition technology let you turn the TV on or off, select apps to activate, or search and select web content -- all without having to use a remote.

Playing Angry Birds with hand

Celebrity using hands to play Angry Birds

Smart Content

While Samsung's Smart TVs have already been providing premium content through over 1,500 apps worldwide, in 2012 it is taking that a step further by providing a Smart Hub, a simple user interface (UI) in full HD. Through AllShare Play, Samsung allows content to be pulled in from a Smart TV or mobile device or manually pushed out to the cloud, regardless of a user's location.

Smart Evolution

Samsung is proud to be the only electronics company worldwide to offer Smart Evolution. This feature is available on select Samsung Smart TVs and really addresses the obsolescence issue. Many times, we buy a TV only for a new model and feature to come out soon after. With the Smart Evolution feature, the select TV sets have a Samsung Evolution Kit. A simple slot-in at the back lets consumers keep up with newer introductions of both hardware and software without the need to go out and bu a new TV set. You can potentially keep up-to-date by just "slotting in" the new features using Samsung's proprietary system-on-chip technology. That is just so cost-effective!

Smart's Freedom Plan: Postpaid Plan Redefined

Who wants complete freedom with a postpaid plan that starts from ZERO, has no monthly fees, has no lock-in period and does not require the presentation of documents before you can be given a subscriber line?

That's what Smart is offering to prepaid subscribers now with its Freedom Plan.

My Smart Freedom Plan sim

For the next few months, I will be testing out this plan.

The facts: I'm a prepaid subscriber on both Globe and Smart (and I used to be one with Sun too). Many friends ask me why I have stayed prepaid all these years although I was a postpaid subscriber when I was still fully employed. I tell them that with prepaid, I can monitor my mobile spending based on how much I load (very important for one with no full-time job and is on a tight budget). I have the freedom to choose what telco and even what plan I will enroll in from day to day (I use my home wifi most times and only need internet when I am mobile). I am free of bill shock risk. When they tell me that postpaid subscribers get a free phone, I just shrug and tell them that the phone I want usually comes with a monthly plan (which is too inflexible for what I need) so I'd rather just buy the phone I really want and use a prepaid sim.

I really enjoy my prepaid freedom and won't just give it up and be tied to a network or postpaid plan unless I enjoy the same or better flexibility I now enjoy as a prepaid mobile user.

So when Smart invited me to try out their Freedom Plan, I agreed to give it a test run. Here's what the Freedom Plan is all about.

Key Features

* No fixed monthly fees (you start from ZERO)
* No lock-in period (you just get the SIM. No phones are bundled with the plan.)
* No documents to submit if you stay within the default credit limit
* No bill shock - Each SIM is ready with a P600 credit limit. You can mix/match the plan's  "postpaid buckets" for the month until you reach P600.

Cignal brings the clarity of satellite digital transmission to your TV

The age of digital TV is upon us and in the Philippines, the second largest and fastest-growing pay-TV provider, Cignal, is in the forefront of digital transmission via satellite, guaranteeing the widest coverage and the clearest TV signals for the best viewing experience available.

Analog vs Digital

Analog TV transmission was always a victim of the elements. Remember the days of snow-like interference on your TV sets? Well, I'm old enough to remember that. Over the decades, that improved with the introduction of cable TV. TV signals became so much clearer. Gone was the snowy look. But because the TV signals still traveled through the cables from the cable provider's transmission center to homes, bad weather always meant intermittent disruptions of signal and not-so-clear reception.

Cignal showed us a diagram of how their transmission works, using the power of satellites. From the content providers, a satellite downloads the TV programs to Cignal's Uplink Center. From there, it is beamed again to a satellite which then transmits the signals to the satellite dishes in subscribers' homes.

What is the advantage of digital transmission?

* Coverage is nationwide, including remote locations - Unlike signals transmitted by cable, which limits the geographical accessibility by subscribers in very remote locations, Cignal's transmission can penetrate non-cabled areas, coastal waters and mountain regions. 

* Signal is not weather-dependent - Static interference and disruptions occur in cabled transmission. Water can seep in, cables can be downed, etc. But satellite transmission continues even in bad weather, ensuring continuing service to subscribers.

Here's a slide that Cignal showed us illustrating more advantages.

So far, Cignal has the following High Definition (HD) channels out of about 64 channels (including Standard Definition or SD channels) currently listed on their flyer.

Cignal offers both postpaid and prepaid plans as follows:

POSTPAID

1. Plan 590 - 44 digital channels (40 SD, 4 HD)

2. Plan 990 - 53 digital channels (45 SD, 8 HD)

3. Plan 1290 - 60 digital channels (48 SD, 12 HD)

4. Plan 1590 - 64 digital channels (49 SD, 15 HD)

PREPAID

1. Pack 250 - 14 digital channels

2. Pack 390 - 24 digital channels

3. Pack 590 - 44 digital channels (40 SD, 4 HD)

For special events, they also have Pay-Per-View options.

For more details, visit their site at www.Cignal.tv. Or call 244-6251 (Cignal 1).

TEDx comes to Xavier School on Feb. 18, 2012

Xavier School is celebrating its 55 years in existence year-long. And one of the highlights of its celebration is the inaugural TEDxXavierSchool event which is happening this Saturday, Feb. 18, right in the Xavier School campus.

Just as a backgrounder, TEDx is an independently organized TED event which operates under license from TED. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. At TED talks, the world's thinkers and doers are given 18 minutes to talk about their passion. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  These talks are provided free to the global audience at TED.com. In fact, there is a TED app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that allows you to view the videos on these devices.

In TEDx events, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. Just recently, my friend Jay Jaboneta, was invited to France to share about his Yellow Boat Foundation at TEDxMontpellier. But this TEDx event is close and dear to my heart because it is happening in the heart of my boys' school. I am so proud that Xavier School is leading the pack when it comes to the use of technology in academe as well as in other pioneering ideas like this one.

In the heat of preparations...
(taken from TedxXavierSchool Facebook page)

The TEDxXavierSchool theme, “Innovation built on tradition”, will be a half-day event to explore ways in which we innovate based on our history and our own experiences. 

Innovators scheduled to speak in person at TEDxXavierSchool include:

• Raynard Raphael Lao — a Xavier High School student, who is also a champion public speaker at both local and regional competitions 

• Brian Maraña — International Programs Coordinator of Xavier School who has transformed the way students learn from the world 

• Tony Meloto — Founder of Gawad Kalinga, providing countless homes to the homeless and building them into communities, and speaker at the World Economic Forum 

• Dodie Ng — Games and apps creator who also founded a robotics organization and team for the youth while also being a Xavier High School student 

• Mark Ruiz — Co-Founder of Hapinoy and Founder of Rags2Riches, providing social business enterprise and microenterprise development as a living means to some of the poorest people 

• Brian Tenorio — Internationally-acclaimed, New York-based designer who has altered the way development is done through Design

Here's a teaser video for TEDxXavierSchool.



For more on TEDxXavierSchool, follow their Facebook page and on Twitter via the hashtag #TEDxXS.

Credits:

Co-chairs for the TEDxXavierSchool event are Galvin Radley Ngo, Coordinator of Xavier School’s Operation NExT (New Experiences with Technology), and Jessica Demegillo, Technology Integrator at Xavier School. Martin Gomez is the primary licensee for TEDxXavierSchool. This event is organized by Xavier School’s Operation NExT department, Club NExT student organization, and the Xavier School student Media Team. 

3D Vizion: 3D without the glasses

Do you love to watch 3D movies but hate having to don those red and blue glasses? Join the club!

My kids don't particularly like 3D glasses either. We donned them when we watched Avatar and while the ones we got were the expensive, sunglasses type, they were heavy. Besides, if you already wear glasses, how can you put another pair of glasses over your glasses?

Now, think of what this company did. Imagine that instead of putting those 3D glasses over your eyes, they put a giant pair of those glasses over your TV screen? And now you can sit in the comfort of your home or watch similar screens in advertising walls, glasses-free? Well, if you already wear glasses, you need not take them off. How about that?

In a nutshell, that's what 3D Vizion has done.

Taking a ground-breaking technology that uses the best of high-definition 2D technology and the latest in 3D technology, it came up with a platform that uses glasses-free 3D screens. While TV screens are flat, glasses-free 3D screens redefine one's viewing experience. The screen is now transformed into a living playground that emphasizes colors and redefines the depth of field. Everything comes alive.

Over the years, the influence of TV has diminished as more people now turn to the internet and even YouTube for many things that used to be TV's monopoly. By introducing 3D screens, interest can be drawn back to TV. Advertising can be that much more interesting.

According to Katrina Bantug, President and CEO of 3D Vizion, this product is so revolutionary as of now that 99.8% of the world has not yet seen these screens. Their company has caught the attention of advertisers, most of all, because of the audience-gathering potential that it shows. Katrina says "A US study discovered that when used in a mall, the sales of the brand featured in the glasses-free 3D screen went up at least 12% in addition to the store reporting a 34% increase in consumer traffic."

Katrina Bantug

Bloggers were treated to a wall of 3D screens that played several commercials in a loop. I would have wanted to post here what it looked like but apparently, my videocam could not replicate the effect of the 3D screens. Suffice it to say that we were all awed at how commercials seemed to jump out of the screen. We watched an iPhone turn on its base, coins seemed to jump out of a treasure chest, a cartoon clip, a forest path, and many more come alive on 3D.

Another surprise was finding out that this company is a fully-operational Filipino firm. Why the Philippines and not some other more developed Southeast Asian country? Katrina answers back, why not the Philippines? Truly, why not!

Naturally, as of now, advertising costs on 3D screens are more expensive than regular advertising on LED screens. But Katrina says that it is not just a matter of comparing pesos with pesos; rather, the added attraction of watching a product commercial on 3D translates into more sales as their study shows. And economies of scale are sure to bring these costs down over time as more companies discover the drawing power of 3D screens.

3D Vizion is founded by Katrina Bantug, Mohan Kulkarni and backed by DEMIKK Holdings, Inc., represented by Ruben Tiu. For more information about the company, its products and services, contact Susana Eslava at (02) 695-1111 or (02) 706-7999 or visit their website, www.3dvscreens.com.

Vibe: Vibal Foundation's e-Bookstore

The first e-bookstore in the Philippines has launched. Vibe, a project of Vibal Foundation, launched recently and was introduced to bloggers at a gathering at the Filipinas Heritage Library.

Vibe is the e-bookstore's name as well as the name of the reading app that is downloadable FREE on PCs, Macs, Android devices as well as on iPhones and iPads.

Vibal Foundation's goal was to make available to the reading public the widest number of newly published, out of print or public domain book titles, including magazines and newspapers. This is good news not only for academe who will have digital access to many books that have long been out of print but Vibe is also a way by which budding authors and bloggers can get their dream book/s self-published in cyberspace. And earn from it as well.

Samsung MV800 - a multiview, self photo camera

You know how hard it is to get a self-photo, right? In most of my blogger events, we always end up asking other people to take our photo with our camera or someone from our group has to be the one behind the lens.

The few times I have tried to take a self-photo with my digicam, my photos would get half my face, come out crooked and look so awkward.

About two years ago, we marvelled at the new Samsung digicam with 2D view technology which had a second frontal display screen. What a novelty it was back then as friends who had it showed us how easy it was to compose self-photos exactly the way we wanted the shot. The camera could also detect a smile, taking a picture just as you grin.

Last November 4, Samsung introduced the Samsung MV800 - a multiview camera - at a media launch. The MV800 can be rotated all the way to 180 degrees to catch important events from any angle.

Here are some features of the MV800:

A 3.0" touchscreen display features different apps you can launch
with the touch of a finger. No knob twisting anymore.

See that sign on the side? A whopping 16.1 megapixels!
And what is that - a 45 degree angle?

Otterbox is now in the Philippines!

The first time I heard of Otterbox was from my friend, Carlo Ople. And I did not hear of it -- I saw it in action. In a dramatic way. Because to prove how sturdy it was and how much faith he had in it, Carlo made a video where he dropped his Otterbox-encased iPad from a sofa onto the floor. Yes, Carlo is crazy.




But, what do you know, next thing I know, Carlo invites me to an Otterbox event. It's now available in town through Tenkie Box!

As they say, if you're going to spend precious money to buy an expensive gadget, why scrimp on its protective casing, right?

Otterbox is available in 4 variants and for a wide variety of devices - Apple, Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Dell, and HTC.

My Halloween giveaway: WinX Blu-ray Decrypter

I am still in on holiday mood. Thanks to the people from Digiarty Software, they have provided 10 license codes of WinX Blu-ray Decrypter for me to give away. Yes, yes, not all of us have Blu-ray players (I don't). But you can always give this as a gift to someone who has one. After all, this software retails at $49.95. One less Christmas gift, right?

More details about this software, key features and specs can be found on its website. An excerpt on the same site states:

WinX Blu-ray Decrypter is a professional Blu-ray decrypting and copy tool for users to decrypt and backup Blu-ray to M2TS video file or Blu-ray folder (compatible with Win7 Media Player). It is able to remove and decrypt encryption (AACS MKB v25), BD+ copy protection, etc. in Blu-ray disc. With this program, you can effortlessly protect your beloved Blu-ray discs from scratch or loss. WinX Blu-ray Decrypter is an ideal Blu-ray backup solution which supports both Full Disc Blu-ray Backup and Title Copy modes. It allows you to decrypt Blu-ray Disc with all known copy protections and encryptions and backup 3D Blu-ray to 2D video in only 3 clicks. It also brings fast decrypting speed while preserving original video/audio quality. If you are looking for powerful software to backup and decrypt Blu-ray video disc, WinX Blu-ray Decrypter is the way to go.

All you need to do to get a chance to win one of the license codes is:

1. Join my Facebook page by clicking HERE. 

2. Leave a short message on my wall just to greet me and say you want the WinX Blu-Ray Decrypter.

SIMPLE! Everyone who properly follows the 2 steps above will be assigned numbers (1, 2, 3...) in the order that you post on my wall (first to post is #1, etc) and randomizer.org will choose the winning numbers. 

I will choose the winners by Sunday, Nov. 6, 10pm. Winners' names will be announced on my wall by Monday, Nov. 7. I will send the license codes to the winners by private message on Facebook or via email.

(Note: License codes must be activated before November 30, 2011)

And stay tuned because I have another giveaway coming up after this one....

Halloween giveaway: WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe

I love special holidays because these are the times when I could be lucky to get a paid app for free or at a hefty discount. And Halloween is one of those times.

So I'm sharing this find with you. From Oct. 27 to Nov. 6, 2011, Digiarty Software, Inc. is giving its video converter software, WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe for FREE!

WinX HD Video Deluxe is an all-in-one HD video converter, DVD burner and YouTube video downloader. Convert your DVD collection so it can play on your iPhone/4s, iPad, iPod, PSP, PS3, Android, Blackberry and DVD player. You can watch your videos on the go.

Just a reminder.

This is a Windows version and does not come with free upgrades or tech support. The software also must be activated before Nov. 10.

To download it free, click HERE.

Digiarty has also discounted its WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from $49.95 to $35.95. This is a full license version that entitles you to lifetime upgrade. The link to promo for this is same as the one above.

Samsung Galaxy Y levels app in the metro

Smartphone. Android 2.3. Under PhP 6,000.

Possible? Yes! Because that is what the Samsung Galaxy Y is.

Everyone wants a smartphone these days and the youth are not exempted from that. After all, like my kids, they are forever hankering to be online, stay in touch via social networks with their friends, and play games at will - all in one device.

But the regular smartphones do come with hefty prices that are beyond the reach of the youth, yuppies who may have just began working, or the ordinary Juan who is on a limited budget.

My first mobile phone in the 80s cost me P10,000 big bucks then and the features were nowhere near what smartphones are capable of these days. I'm using a mobile phone that runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and although I have not yet really gotten my hands dirty using all its features, I can say that it is pretty neat and powerful. My most handy use for it is as a personal hotspot for my ipad.

Now think of a powerful OS in a phone that is selling for only P5,990. That was something not possible just a few years ago but here it is now. Anyone who is in the market for a smartphone that allows you to send SMS, chat on social networks, play games and download applications, among other things, should check this one out.

Here's my quick assessment of the Samsung Galaxy Y just based on specs (I'm still hoping I get to do a hands-on review of it if and when I can get my hands on a demo unit).

Entry-level smartphone: This is one of the most basic smartphones in order that the price can be made reasonable and affordable. So if you're a power user, this may not be the phone for you. But if you're like my kids who just want internet access, ability to engage on their favorite social networks, check email, listen to music and play games, this could be for you.

Gingerbread: Running on Android 2.3, 832 MHz processor and HSDPA module of up to 7.2 Mbps brings many powerful uses. Browsing, checking email, playing media happen smoothly with hardly any lag. You also have access to over 150,000 apps available in the Android Market.

Sharp (Phils.) Corp. stays 30 years in the Philippines through thick and thin

2011 marks 30 years of Sharp's presence in the Philippines. Wow, have they really been here that long?

Come to think of it, Sharp has been a part of my growing up years. At some point of time in my life, we've had a Sharp television set, washing machine, and karaoke. Not to mention several Sharp calculators!

At a recent media event held at Makati Shangri-la, we were able to listen to several of Sharp's Japanese executives, including Sharp (Phils.) Corp.'s President and GM, Mr. Juntaro Shimamoto, who took us through Sharp's history in terms of electronic offerings as well as where they are going in the future.

Sharp products over the years

Sharp Phils. executives

Some stuff that I found very interesting during the event were Sharp's 'green' endeavors built into their products. Their poly-crystalline silicon (PSC) solar panels are now in use at a Cepalco-operated farm in Cagayan, the first solar farm in the country. Appliances like their air purifiers, ion generators, airconditioners and refs are incorporated with Plasmacluster Ion Technology that suppresses harmful airborne elements to promote a clean, indoor environment. 

This I like because our family always has allergic rhinitis attacks from dust and pollen and our home always has to have air purifiers and ionizers to help catch these.

Plasmacluster technology

They'll soon be introducing into the market the largest LCD TV (all 70 inches of it), the Quattron 735 series.

A sneak peek of the 70-inch LCD TV

And an innovation to the washing machine is what they call the Eco Drum (or hole-less technology). The old technology where the drum had holes was flawed. It allowed black mold in the holes to contaminate and stain clothes. The new, hole-less drum prevents this from happening and comes with a wider tub so you can wash more clothes in one cycle.

Drew Arellano talks about the hole-less drum

Sharp's executives, throughout their presentations, kept mentioning "Koten", their trademark marketing strategy. Koten, which means "individual exhibit" is a once a year convention where all Sharp's products are introduced to the public in a fun and easy way, assisted by Sharp's team. Families and individuals can walk around their exhibits and see the actual appliances, inspect them, and get further information from the staff. They said they have seen sales of 150% of monthly sales achieved in just 3 days using the Koten strategy.

What's reassuring for many of us is the statement directly from Sharp's top management that they are here to stay in the Philippines - through thick and thin. 

It will be exciting to watch and see what Sharp (Phils.) Corp.'s 2012 offerings will look like.

Netphone: Smart's affordable smartphone

While smartphone prices have already been on the decline, making it affordable to more and more people, there is still a great majority of Filipinos whose mobiles are not internet-capable. This is true despite the Philippines being recognized not only as the texting capital of the world but also the world's online social networking champ. Almost everyone I've asked has a Facebook account. A friend of mine even has a yaya (nanny) who's got a Facebook account.

Recognizing these patterns, Smart designed its own brand of an internet-ready phone and tailor-fitted its features and apps to the Pinoy's lifestyle and preferences. At a media launch recently, I was introduced to the Netphone, Smart's offering for those who are budget-conscious but love to get on the internet and engage on social media.

By September 10, the public will be formally introduced to Smart's very own brand of internet-capable phones via Netphone 701 (which I hear is a ZTE model). It is only the first model to come out, with other higher-end models being planned in the coming months.

Netphone 701 is an Android-powered phone, running on Froyo (ver. 2.2). This was my first time to play around with an Android handset but I noted that the initial apps loaded on it were pretty good. An FM radio, a Bible app, and even my favorite Docs To Go app was loaded in it. It's got 2 cameras. The back camera is 3.2MP while the front cam is a VGA one. It was pretty light, something I'd always appreciate in a phone. Colors were quite vivid. This handset also allows you to turn your phone into a hotspot and it supports Flash 10.1. It has a 3.5" touchscreen and runs on a 600MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Not being familiar with the menus, I was trying to find out if the phone had wifi or ran on 3G only. Yup, the Netphone is good for both wifi and 3G. 

Digital Out-of-Home Media - its possibilities for the Philippines

When I got this invite to attend a lunch with people from Digital Out-of-Home Media (or DOOH, for short) I thought about it several times. After all, I was not a huge fan of outdoor billboards and LED screens especially along EDSA and main roads. I was concerned about driving safety and felt that anything that would tend to let drivers take their eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, was risky to the riding public.

But it was also my chance to learn a little more about the industry so with an open mind, I went to the forum. It was a whole day affair for members of the outdoor media industry but the press people were able to listen to some of them over lunch.

(L-R): Robert Michaels, Manolo Almagro, Lloyd Tronco

Robert Michaels (President, Signage Division at Digital View, Inc.) and Manolo Almagro (Digital Experience Strategist for Jollibee/Zenith Optimedia) gave some insights on how outdoor digital media is being used in the United States and Europe. Lloyd Tronco, Executive Director, Philippine Center for Out-Of-Home Media Research and Science, also fielded questions from media.

Personally, I would rather see uncluttered streets rather than these burgeoning mountains of billboards. I am also a bit concerned that moving advertisements can actually be more distracting than huge, still billboards. So the location of these digital media should also be considered.

Here are some examples of outdoor digital media in other countries:

Digital media helps to declutter highways and malls

This wall ad has a sensor. As it senses a pedestrian walking in front
of it, the sensor activates the built-in cameras in the ad
making it seem as though the pedestrian is being photographed by paparazzi.

Here's an ad for domestic violence using facial recognition technology.
When it senses you looking away, the ad shows a husband beating up his wife;
as soon as you turn your head to gaze at the ad, the couple look okay.

In this mall, the digital media was incorporated into its "look".

This one is so cute! It is a high-tech application of digital media outdoors.

I know outdoor advertising cannot be totally eliminated, at least in the short- to medium-term. But the form that it takes can evolve to newer modes to accommodate things such as driving safety, environment-friendly advertising, and overall personal safety. I can see some possibilities for the Philippines:

1. The clutter of billboards along highways can be combined and placed in strategically located digital LED boards. Imagine how much more sky we can see if we can put a thousand huge billboards into, say, 10 LED boards spaced apart along the same highway.

2. Newer technologies allow LED screens to take in ambient lighting and adjust the screen's brightness depending on whether it is day or night, cloudy or bright. Some LED screens I see along EDSA can be blinding at night since the brightness is the same whether day or night.

3. Outdoor digital media need not be commercial advertising alone. I see it as a channel for public service as well. In the United States, there are amber alerts (alerts for missing persons) sent out via these LED screens. Why can we not use those same LED screens here in the Philippines, a disaster-prone country, to send out emergency announcements, safety instructions and similar public service announcements?

For now, I am reserving my opinion regarding the use of all sorts of advertising along major roads and highways. In everything, there are pros and cons and in the end it is a matter of balance. I think digital out-of-home media can be put to good use but it is important to study where it is placed, how it is used, and what messages it communicates. 

Metro Manila Traffic Navigator launches - with more to come

Last August 1, 2011, the Metro Manila Traffic Navigator (a web-based, real-time traffic situationer) was formally introduced to the riding public by executives from both the MMDA and TV5 present, as well as media and bloggers. When I last blogged about the Metro Manila Traffic Navigator last June 29, the first day its beta version was opened to the public, I was delighted to find the page so easy to read, clean and as real-time as you can get (with updates every 5 to 15 minutes).

The Traffic Navigator was a personal savior for me. While MMDA was already doing a good job of announcing traffic situations in the Metro via their Twitter account, it was still difficult to filter the timeline. For example, in the case of Tropical Storm Falcon, I was attending a despedida for a friend and it was raining cats and dogs outside. I went online before going home and checked MMDA's Twitter timeline to see if the route I was taking was going to be flooded. I did find out but not after some amount of scrolling through the timeline searching for the tweet specific to what I needed.

With the Traffic Navigator, you get a visual image of the initial 6 lines that are up (EDSA, Quezon Avenue, Espana, C5, Roxas Blvd and SLEX), the various points along each line and the traffic situation in any of 3 colors - red, yellow and green. Just on the homepage alone, it's easy to check the red (heavy traffic) points and make plans for an alternate route. The Traffic Navigator has a system view, line view, and a Google Map view so you get the situation from a macro or micro level.

At the formal launch, MMDA Chairman, Atty. Francis Tolentino; TV5's Chief of News and Information Division, Ms. Luchi Valdes;  and TV5 Interaksyon.com's editor-in-chief, Mr. Roby Alampay, talked about how the idea of Traffic Navigator was born and what they hoped it would achieve in terms of upping public service levels. MMDA's Yves Gonzalez also explained how the app was being updated to reflect real-time traffic situations. Since it began operations, about 6,000 drivers and commuters have already consulted the Traffic Navigator.

Those hip Urbanears headphones are in Digital Walker!

When it comes to headphones, I tend to ask friends for recommendations before buying because those hip-looking earphones I see in computer shops may be eye candy but may not necessarily have great sounds. This is why my last purchase was the original Apple earphones with a built-in mike which set me back some P1,600. Better safe than sorry.

When Carlo invited me to Digital Walker Eastwood's launch of Urbanears headphones, I thought that I'd have the chance to check out something other than Apple products. The Apple earphones I had were okay, sound-wise, but the metal earpieces hurt my ears after prolonged use. I was longing to find another option.

Urbanears is a company out of Stockholm, Sweden. Their team is made up of entrepreneurs, industrial and graphic designers, tech nerds, former retailers, salesmen and businessmen. They have backgrounds not only in electronics and design but in fashion as well. Their aim is to produce earphones that do not just have excellent sound quality but great fashion sense as well.

Vic Icasias of Technoodling

I picked up some very interesting trivia about Urbanears from Technoodling.net blogger, Vic Icasias:

* The models - Urbanears' 4 models (Bagis, Tanto, Medis, Plattan) are derived from the names of suburbs in Sweden. In fact, the coordinates of each town is found in the packaging of the related Urbanears, just like this one.

MMDA + Interaksyon 5 = Metro Manila Traffic Navigator

(UPDATE: Read my newer post, featuring the Traffic Navigator during its public launch, by clicking HERE.)

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has been getting a lot of praise as one of the government agencies that has been in the social media forefront, rendering public service via Twitter and Facebook. Now, they've levelled up once more! Partnering with Interaksyon (TV5), they have created a web-based, real-time Metro Manila Traffic Navigator.

When you go to the homepage, you are presented with the System View. At first glance, it reminds me of a subway map but it covers the major thoroughfares where the MMDA cameras (I presume) are located.

Using the red, green, yellow colors to signify heavy, moderate and light traffic, you can see at a glance where traffic is bad and where it is okay.

To get greater detail, you can also choose the Line View. In this view you can select any of several lines: EDSA, Quezon Ave., Espana, C5, Roxas Blvd, or SLEX. In this screencap, I had chosen EDSA and was presented with several streets intersecting with EDSA and their color-coded traffic status.

And when you click the Google Map icon on the extreme right of each street, this is what you see (in this case, I chose Quezon Ave.):

The website is interactive. At almost any page view, you have the chance to share the info via Facebook and Twitter as well as chat interactively with MMDA. You don't need to open Twitter or Facebook as a separate window or tab anymore. 

I was told that updates to the website are done every 15 to 30 minutes. That's not bad at all!

At the height of Tropical Storm Falcon, I was out of the house attending a despedida. Following the tweets of MMDA then helped me plan my route home. But this is one-up over the MMDA tweets. Why? Because if you want to check the status of EDSA-Shaw Boulevard, like I wanted to, it took a while to scroll through all the MMDA tweets to find one that reported on EDSA-Shaw. But with a visual map like this one, you can immediately check the EDSA line view and see the status of Shaw Blvd. there.

In the works also is the mobile app version of this so that it is easier for those with mobile phones to use the application.

The website is still in beta (as it says in the logo) and I think that's because some links are not yet working. For example, I clicked on their About, FAQ and Contact Us links and was directed to the System View page. Looks like those links are still under construction.

Try it out now and see for yourselves. If you love MMDA already, you'll love them even more after this. And thanks to Interaksyon TV5 for making this possible.

To go to Metro Manila Traffic Navigator, click HERE.

High-Speed Smart LTE 4G Technology is Coming!

Download movies in minutes. Download songs in seconds. Watch an HD YouTube video without buffering. Seriously.

Am I excited, am I excited? You bet I am! Because I got to hold in my hands the device and watched a demo showing that the upcoming Smart LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G technology can do all that. And all I can say is -- IT'S WICKED FAST!

The LTE dongle - from the front...

...and from the back

A few of us bloggers were invited to sit down with some of Smart's executives from their networking and marketing divisions and here is what we learned.

How (and how not) to activate a prepaid Smart Bro micro sim on the ipad

Please click here to read the post on my new domain - philippinebeat.com