AkoMismo.org

There’s been some buzz about this new campaign called Ako Mismo which started out as a star-studded TV ad followed by a members-only website.
Nothing wrong with it really. A lot of forums and websites require people to sign up before allowing them to enter and see what’s inside. AkoMismo is also giving away a branded dog tag for members.
This is not uncoommon. Other sites also offer free stuff when you sign up. I used to moderate a forum back in 2001 that pays members a certain amount for every post they make.
One has to admit it’s a clever online marketing gimmick. What put the campaign under scrutiny was the socio-political angle and the secrecy of the organizers behind it.
I don’t think AkoMismo.org site is really that anonymous. Here are some public information

about the site:
Domain Registrant: akomismo.org
Tribal DDBMcKinley, Taguig CityPhilippinestribalddbph@gmail.comCreated March 16, 2009
IP WhoIs: 125.5.116.82INFOCOM Technologies Inc3/F PLDT Tower I6799 Ayala Avenue, Makati City*****@vitro.epldt.net
Well, at least we know who owns the domain and the ad agency is Tribal DDB (they do digital marketing worldwide) and the server is hosted at the PLDT Vitro data center.

Microsoft won the Notebook OS wars

GigaOm’s recent entry talks about the “Fight for the Netbook Operating System” and I say what fight? I think Microsoft already won that battle months ago.
I wrote something similar back in October 2008 (Is Linux Failing the Netbooks?). Some might say it’s too early to say yet all the signs are pointing to Microsoft XP taking the role of the quarterback.
Asus was a pioneer with the netbook and they did it with a free Linux-flavored OS, Xandros. It was supposed to be the big chance for Linux to go mainstream but the idea that netbooks are underpowered and can only run light OSes like Xandros or Ubuntu did not fly. Windows XP became the #1 alternative. If my Pentium 3 450MHz with 256RAM can run XP very well, why not a Celeron 900MHz or an Atom 1.6GHz?
Acer and Asus fought fiercely at the top of the list for market share and moved on to develop newer models. None of the newer models have the Linux option. Everything runs in Windows. Acer and Asus would not say why they scrapped Linux altogether but I think we all know why. Even the switchers from Vista didn’t really moved away and went Penguin; they just downgraded to XP.
After sales support could have been costly. It’s cheaper to get tech support for Windows than for Linux. Besides, most sales engineers on the retailers side are just familiar with one OS, Windows. Retailers would not spend more money for a new hire just to be able to expertly support Linux.
Windows 7 is just around the corner. Even if XP is permanently laid to rest, Windows 7 will eagerly wait to replace it (skipping the dreaded Vista altogether). The timing is just right.
Well, there could be other potential contenders like the Android OS but it’s just that — potential. In a new but growing market like netbooks, everybody wants in and competition is so fierce that one wrong move could spell your defeat or success. HP learned that the hard way with the Mini 2133

Samsung leads others follow

Samsung sold about 10.2 million TVs worldwide from October to December 2008. That breaks down to 17.7% market share.
In a comprehensive study in the Philippines by Germany-based GfK Research Group, data gathered from retailers and re-sellers have shown Samsung displacing Sharp, Philips, Panasonic, and Sony as the leader in LCD market.
Samsung sold 68,000 TV units in the Philippines last year. Not a lot but that’s ten thousand more than what Sony sold int he country for the same year.
Believable? Yes.
But what do you think? Has Samsung really displaced Sony in the LCD TV market? This could be due to the price points but in the high-end segment, I don’t think it matters a lot.
If you were to buy an LCD TV, which brand will it be?

Toshiba NB200 Notebook

Toshiba’s entry into the netbook market never really landed in the Philippines with the first model (the 9″ NB100) launched last year in Singapore. The 10-inch Toshiba NB200 now goes on sale at CompLink.
There are two models, the NB200-11H that has an N270 and the NB200-11L with the newer N280.
Intel Atom Processor N270 1.6GHz1024MB DDR2 RAM160GB HDDIntel GMA 950 graphicsWiFi 802.11 b/g5-in-1 Card ReaderVGA webcam3-cell batteryMicrosoft Windows XP Home
Complink is selling the Toshiba NB200-11H for Php29,990. Looks like Toshiba is just doing the me-too strategy with netbooks and is not really looking to sell a lot (unless you’re a loyal Toshiba customer). Their price points for the 9″ and 10″ are like a year too late.

Philippines 4th on AdMob Global ad trafic

In April 2008, the Philippines was just at #7 for mobile ad traffic as measured by AdMob. Went on to become #5 by August last year. This March, it’s already at #4.

Though there’s practically zero growth from the previous month, the Philippines still surpassed the United Kingdom taking 3.9% of the total ad requests delivered by AdMob.
We’re still pretty far behind Indonesia and India though. Still, this is a good sign that mobile consumers in the Philippines are surfing the web thru their mobile phones.
On the same report, the top 20 handsets list is dominated by Nokia, taking in 19 out of the 20 with Sony PSP at #12. The iPhone/iPod Touch got dropped off the list.

Manila's apple concept store

According to a design company, CB Engineers, the upcoming Philippine Stock Exchange building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City will also house the very first Apple Store in the country.
The ground floor retail section of the new PSE is said to include the Apple Store, Manila:
CB Engineers was selected by the Ayala Development Group to provide consulting services as the sustainability consultant and commissioning agent for the new Philippine Stock Exchange Office Building.
The project is a new 650,000-sq.ft. high rise office tower complex located in Bonifacio Global City, a business district of Metro Manila in the Philippines. The project is named for its anchor tenant the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) although the PSE will be occupying only about 108,000 sf or 15% of the total projected floor area. The project is being designed as a LEED Gold, Class A office space (referred to as Triple A Office Space in Manila) and will seek high profile tenants such as headquarters of large multinationals, with the retail section housing the Apple Store, Manila as the anchor tenant. To match the projects ambitious design goals, the Ownership Group has insisted on retaining a world class design team which includes Skidmore Owings & Merrill, SOM; EDAW and CB Engineers along with qualified local architects and engineers as the designers or record.
If this is really true, it makes sense since Apple already has the Online Store in the Philippines and may want to have better presence in the metro. The Fort is an ideal spot to have one but that would surely dampen the enthusiasm of the current iStudio (an Apple Premium Reseller) store owner at the Boni High Street.
No additional details were stated but I’m sure this is gonna piss off Apple that their secret has leaked out {source, via}.

The new HDX 1000 media tank player

Another favorite in the networked media player market is the HDX 1000. A relative of the Popcorn Hour (similar hardware platform created by Syabas), the HDX 1000 comes in a black brushed-metal chassis that houses a terabyte of photos, music and hidef videos.
Just got the demo unit yesterday and I’m testing it out on my new 42″ Toshiba Regza LCD TV. Aside form the pretty packaging, the menu/interface of the HDX 1000 seemed more responsive compared to the Popcorn Hour I tried a year ago

They even have the same wireless remote control. Will have to go thru a couple of days of movie marathons before I could get a review up. As for the retail price, will update this post once I get the final figures

Samsungs ultra thin tv

Yesterday, Samsung Electronics unveiled its new ultra-thin 40″ to 55″ 1080p LED Full HD TV — the Samsung B6000 and B7000 Series. The new series now uses Light Emitting Diode (LED) instead of the usual Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL).
It’s so thin it’s no thicker than a regular netbook at just 1.16″ and weighs about 16+ kg. These models are for the high-end market so Samsung is only making larger screens (40″/46″ for the B6000 and 40″/46″/55″ for the B7000 series).
What’s at the back –2×15watt rms sound output with subwoofer, 2 USB, 4 HDMI, 120Hz frame rate, 16MB Content Library, Picture-in-Picture. DLNA Wireless allows you to stream content (photos, music and movies) from PCs anywhere in the house via WiFi.

Normal power consumption is 170W for the B6000 and 220W for the B7000 series but only uses 0.1W on standby. Samsung claims up to 40+% power reduction compared to LCD TVs of the same size.

The units are light enough that they have this small metal-mesh hanger you can use to hang the LED TVs on the wall (much like a huge wall painting).

These LED units should be available by next week with the 40″ starting at Php159,999 and the 55″ at around Php259,999. More expensive than the regular LCDs but way cheaper than other LEDs before it.

Camera under Php40K best picks

A reader emailed in asking for advise on which dSLR camera to get with a budget under Php40,000. I’m biased towards Canon cameras but here’s my list of possible kits you can buy with that budget.

Canon EOS 450D12.2 megapixel3″ LCD screen with Live View3.5fps continuous shootingEF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lensKit Price: Php34,000

Olympus e-420 Zuiko 14-42mm ED lens10 megapixel2.7″ LCD screen with Live View3.5fps continuous shootingKit Price: Php33,000
Update: the Olympus E520 kit w/ 14-42mm lens is Php 30,800 at jdGoneMad

Canon EOS 1000D10.1 megapixel2.5″ LCD3fps continues shootingEF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lensKit Price: Php29,500

Nikon D6010.2 megapixel2.5″ LCD screen3fps continuous shooting18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lensKit Price: Php26,500

My money goes to Canon 450D.
If you have the time, you can check out Hidalgo in Quiapo in the hopes of getting a bargain (if you’re good at price haggling). Mayer’s and Henry’s store are among the most visited there. If you’re busy and don’t want to be bothered for a trip, you can check out several online stores like Gadget Grocery and Kim’s Store in Multiply.

Sony XR100 Handycam

Sony’s entry-level HD video camera makes good in its promise of high definition footage but lacked some key features I thought should have been included. Let me share some of the footage and shots I got with the Sony HDR-XR100 Handycam.
The XR100 packs an 80GB HDD which contributed to the weight of the handycam (0.41kg) despite its small size. Fits just right with a clasp of the palm but since the grip-handle is beside the HDD enclosure, you’d always feel the whizzing sound of the drive’s spindle. That somestimes give an impression that the handycam is so fragile and you get worried you might bang it against something or drop it off your hands.
The built-in 80GB HDD is the main storage option that can record up to 580 minutes of full HD videos or up to 32 hours on LP but you can augment it with a Memory Stick PRO Duo (memory card sold separately).
The lens is a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar powered by 1/5″ Exmor CMOS sensor with ClearVid array and has an effective resolution of 4-megapixel (this is the biggest resolution yet I’ve seen in a videocam). The 35 equivalent is 42 - 497mm with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The aperture size is between F1.8 - 2.2 so you can really get some nice depth in the videos and photos.
I tested it out and took videos and still pictures. The zooming (10x optical zoom, 120x digital) and panning capabilities are both smooth and well-focused. Depending on lighting conditions, the autofocus function can be almost instantatenous to a few seconds. That being said, the shutter speed is good as long as you have enough light and is comparable to regular P&S cameras out there.


Unfortunately, this model doesn’t have any built-in flash so taking photos at night without a good light source is close to impossible (the XR200 model has one though and there are external flash lights for this but that’s an extra expense already). However, the video recording easily adapts to whatever ambient light is available. Here’s a sample raw photo (1.1MB) and a sample MPEG2 exported clip (19MB, also available in HQ at YouTube). The exported clip has already degraded because the Sony software that came with it only allows for exporting into WMV or MPEG2 format.
Maximum video resolution is 1920×1080 pixels ( 1080/60i) and the quality is very good. The photo capture quality is impressive at 4MP and if you looked at the raw file, you will find very little graining or pixelation although edges are a bit smoothed out and not very crisp. The Carl-Zeiss optics did not disappoint.
There’s not a lot of physical buttons on the videocam because the controls are on the screen. At first, I thought it will be a little hard to navigate the 2.7″ wide panel but it turns out the capacitive touchscreen works just fine. Of course, that goes without saying it’s a smudge/fingerprint magnet. The lens cover is manually opened/closed so much of the split-second missed/uncaptured moments are due to that (they have it automatic for the XR200) oversight.
The handycam automatically turns on once you open the LCD and just turns off when it’s closed. That basically helps save power of the 1,000mAh Li-Ion battery pack. The battery size is kind of odd though for the rated capacity and protrudes at the back. On normal use, it takes about a whole day of use before it’s totally depleted.
The Sony HDR-XR100 is a pretty solid videocam. The biggest turn-off I think is the list price (Php52,995 at Ansons) but HD quality handycams are still on the upper end of the spectrum although the 4MP CMOS sensor (biggest I’ve seen in most video cameras), Carl-Zeiss lens and 80GB HDD might justify the cost.

ICQ

ICQ was once the biggest instant messaging service back in the 90s. It used to be the default IM in most net cafes until it was slowly replaced by YM. Not sure what happened but it just faded away.
Besides, I no longer use IMs much these days (only recently found out that ICQ originally meant “i seek you” so the IM was aimed more like an avenue for meeting dates/friends).
For the last decade or two, ICQ tried to evolve and was positioning itself to be like Skype. And for some time, it was In the Philippines, Yahoo took over most of the leadership in web properties including instant messaging.
I guess that’s how trends come and go. Is there anyone out there still actively using ICQ?

MSI Wind at Php27,999

First announced October of 2008, the MSI Wind U120 was the first netbook from the Taiwanese manufacturer to have built-in 3.5G (HSDPA) capability. Last week, MSI and Sun Wireless Broadband had a roadshow event showcasing the U120 and the U100 Plus earlier mentioned here.
Unlike the earlier announcement, the U120H is now at 10″ instead of the 8.9″ indicated in the release.

MSI Wind U120HIntel Atom Processor N270 1.6GHzIntel 945GSE + ICH7M10” screen display (1024x 600 LED backlight)1GB DDR2 667MHz memory250GB SATA Hard Disk Drive3.5G (HSDPA) solution for 3G communication802.11 b/g wireless LANBluetooth6-cell batteryWindows XP Home Edition
The MSI Wind U120 also has this exclusive MSI EasyFace (Face Identification Software) included (not sure though if it’s for login purposes like fingerprint scanners). MSI did not indicate how long the 6-cell battery would last considering there’s the 3G connection that could easily drain off extra juice. Would be interesting to see how strong the internal antenna for that 3G though.
The suggested retail price — Php27,999.

USB Massage Ball very odd looking

This simple but odd looking gadget is called a USB Massage Ball. Don’t know if that’s descriptive enough but it could easily become a laptop owner’s best friend.
Plug it into your spare USB port, place it behind your back and against the chair, push the power on button and you’ve got a personal massage therapist (or something close to that).
Great for backpains from all that crouching down onto the small screen of your netbook.
This one I got as a token from Dell many months ago and only now have I found good use for it.

Facebook users show signs of inactivity

While there’s a lot of talk about the new web-darling Facebook and its apparent overtaking of MySpace as the largest social networking site in the world (over 200 million), there’s this lingering question whether Facebook will be the next Friendster.
From April 16 to 23, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it will open to the public the voting for site governance.
With over 200 million Facebook members, and being the most active and fastest growing social networking site, one would expect an avalanche of participation. Didn’t turn out to be that way,
Facebook’s own statistics suggest that around 589,000 people have voiced their opinions so far. Those individuals support the proposed, user-sourced documents by an almost overwhelming margin, 74.48 percent to 25.52 percent. {source}
Zuckerberg needed 30% (60 million) for the vote to take effect but only about 600,000 voted.
The first ever user vote on Facebook got a participation rate of under 0.25%. Big numbers are great but this one doesn’t look good in terms of user activity.
So to my fellow Facebook users, did you vote?

Msi Wind in different colors

MSI has been expanding its 10-inch U100 netbook series and has now included an upgraded specs and more color variations under the updated MSI Wind U100 Plus label.
MSI announced last week two new colors — Rose Champagne and Metallic Blue — although the other color (Regal Red, announced in the 4th quarter of 2008) is something I haven’t seen anywhere before either.
Aside from the color variations, the U100 Plus is also updated to include WiFi 802.11n, a 1.3M built-in webcam, Intel Atom N280 (1.66Ghz, 667MHz). MSI claims up to 7 hours of battery life on a standard battery (supposedly the optional 6-cell version).
Although MSI did not indicate the SRP, expect the current price of MSI Wind units to go down further while this new model takes in the previous price point of Php21k - php23k.
Not sure though if this is the same one that is being sold at PC Corner that we reported last month.

Samsung N110 & Samsung N120

Samsung has just announced two new models in its line of netbooks — the Samsung N110 and the N120, both boasting the largest keyboard size in its category.

Samsung N110 Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60GHz1GB DDR2 memory10.1″ WSVGA (1024 x 600)160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDDWiFi 802.11 b/gBluetooth 2.0 + EDR3-in-1 card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC),3 x USB 2.0 ports1.3 MP webcam6-cell (5900mAh) battery3-watt stereo speakers (2 x 1.5watts)

Samsung N120 Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60GHz1GB DDR2 memory10.1″ WSVGA (1024 x 600)160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDDWiFi 802.11 b/gBluetooth 2.0 + EDR3-in-1 card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC),3 x USB 2.0 ports1.3 MP webcam6-cell (5200mAh) battery3-watt stereo speakers (2 x 1.5watts) with subwoofer
The keyboard size is almost that of the standard keyboard at 93% for the N110 and 97% for the N120 (with the N120 having an extra 0.5 inch in width).
Likewise the battery like for the N120 can top 9 hours, according to Samsung. Both the Samsung N120 ($459) and N110 ($469) is currently available through Samsung.com and online retailers. And I don’t think we’ll ever get to see it in the Philippines anytime soon, if not at all.