The Hi-Phone is an iPhone clone (are we even surprised?). And it’s also a Dual Active SIM Phone just like the My Phone.

Excerpt from Carlo S. Suerte Felipe’s article on Bulletin:

The Effort to challenge the iPhone as the ultimate mobile device is, it seems, going to ban an unfinished business. Clone after clone, they attack the exceptional technology of this wonderful creation, to no avail.

The Verdict: We hared that the Hi-Phone is very cheap compared to the iPhone (it has to be). Now considering the technology, design and durability, the iPhone would still be our first choice. The Hi-Phone may have wowed consumers since it has the closest design to this date, but there’s still a lot of work to be done on the inside (hardware and software-wise).

We declare that we’re not about to see the end of this clone craze, not with the iPHone refusing to budge from its lofty spot.

Read the details of Carlo’s article where he compares the iPhone to the HiPhone side-by-side >>

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Ay! Phone!

PrimoPDF is the web’s #1 free software for creating 100% industry-standard PDF files. Simple to use and free of annoying ads, converting files to PDF has never been easier!

Completely free PDF creator - Create PDF files from 300+ file types.

Make 100% industry-standard PDF from any files that print.

Create PDF files optimized for print, screen, ebook, or prepress.

When you install PrimoPDF, it appears as one of the “printers” of your computer.

When you want to create a PDF file from any application (Word, Excel, powerpoint, Paint … any!), Just hit the “Print” button then select “PrimoPDF” as your printer.

You have the choice of three levels of quality: web, email, print.
Save the file on your hard drive. There you have your PDF file!

kewl!

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Pinoy Dream Factory

In particular, I was looking for an easy way to do a Bulk Watermark for photos.  There are many softwares that can do this. But as usual, I was looking for the one that was free and did not have any nags. I didn’t want trial versions that had additional un-wanted watermarks of the software name. I didn’t want trial versions that had limited functionality. I didn’t want free software that could possibly have some trojans in them.

And I found FastStone Image Viewer! It works perfectly for my purposes. I am able to add watermarks on hundreds of photos.

Here’s how I add watermarks for photos that are *already* uploaded on my webserver.

a.) Download the photos from webserver unto my hard drive using my FTP client. I use FileZilla because of the same criteria I used for Faststone (Free, not trial nags, no trojans, full functionality).

b.) Add watermark using FastStone. Select Photos > F3 (Bulk Convert) >  Advanced Options > Text … (then set your watermark).

c.) Save the watermarked images on my hard drive.

d.) Upload watermarked images to my webserver using FTP

I chose to un-check “rename” when I Bulk Convert. This is so that the exact names of the photos are used when I upload the watermarked photos — this preserves all links to the old photos.

Also, I un-check the “Keep original Date / Time attributes”. Thus, after watermarking, the image’s date modified is changed to today. This helps me keep track of which of the 1 thousand photos on my server are already watermarked (Answer: the ones with dates modified lately).

Hope that’s useful.

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holding water

BPI Express Teller Cardless Deposit / Bills Payment

Now you don’t have to rush to a BPI branch or spend your time waiting in line.

Because you can do Cardless Deposit / Bills Payment through any of over 400 Express Teller Machines nationwide - 24/7!

It’s so Easy! Just go to a BPI Express Teller machine with the “Cardless” sign.

Available Deposit: Current Account, Savings Account, ECash

Available Bills Payments:

• BPI Credit card
• BPI Family Bank Loan
• BPI MS
• Globe Telecoms
• Manila Water
• Destiny Cable
• Smart
• Manulife Financial
• Manulife Insurance
• Digitel
• Ayala Life
• Ayala Plans

This is a good service! It’s a new way of receiving deposits. For example, eBay.ph merchants can receive their payments via BPI ATM — their buyers don’t need to do over-the-counter deposits. (Although G-Cash is the more popular and defunct payment method).

The obvious plus side of this service is the convenience of being able to make payments at more than 400 ATMs around the Philippines (anytime!). The lines are shorter than having to wait for over-the-counter transactions.

The downside, though, is the delay before the deposit or payment is reflected. Payments will be recorded on the next banking day when the bank officers open up the ATM. There’s an alternative real-time deposit facility — but that one needs the ATM card. That’s another article.
Last week, I did a cardless deposit of P100 just to try out the service. The transaction starts with pressing Enter (I discovered this by trial-and-error).

I later encountered “transaction cancelled” twice. Ah, user problem! I was keying-in the amount instead of what the machine was asking for: the account number. Just read the instructions on the screen and you should be fine. A good addition, by the way, is that the machine asks for your contact number - so that the bank can contact you in case there’s a concern with your deposit.
For inquiries, Contact BPI Express Phone at 89-100 or log on to www.bpiexpressonline.com.

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BPInoy ako!

I did a work-around at that time and used my friend’s Canada postal address as a “home” address. Then was planning to register my friend’s credit card or bank account to complete the account validation. I didn’t get far.

A few days ago, a blogger friend Abe told me I had some money with him. And that he could send it to me right away through PayPal. So I hagilap-ed (whatta word!) my old PayPal emails and found my old account from back in 2003. Then got Abe to send me money.

My money was in my PayPal account with the clicks of a few mouse-buttons. Saya!

I tried to convert the 2003 account into a Philippine account now that we had the full PayPal service available for the Philippines. But, it isn’t allowed. If a PayPal user moves countries, he’ll need to close the old account and create a new account.

Shucks. Oh well no worries. I opened a 2008 account and will transfer the entire amount from the 2003 account to the 2008 account. ….

As soon as I figure out how to do that! hahahhaa!

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PayPal newbie

Now the Smart Bro plug-anywhere Internet service is available via pre-paid.

From Yugatech:

The Pre-Paid Kit for Smart Bro Mobile 3G is available for Php4,500, one-time. That includes the USB dongle, the SIM card and a 30-peso free load (that’s one and a half hours of free credits).

The pre-paid kit can be re-loaded with Smart Bro pre-paid cards worth Php100 and Php300. You cna also use e-Load to top up your account for as low as Php30 from any of the local e-Load stations (i.e. tiange)

nge)

Magaling, magaling, magaling . I’m sure many people will like the fact that this service is:

• Highly mobile - The dongle fits in your pocket
• Versatile - you can use it with any computer
• Easy entry - no monthly subscription, no requirements for subscription, just need P4,500 to purchase the dongle
• Easy access to Internet time load - you can just load internet time whenever you want to use it, at any of 1 Million smart loading stations. — This is key!

The most attractive feature is being able to load for Internet time through any of the 1Million Smart Loading stations. It takes advantage of the wide network of tiange’s, sari-sari stores, “free-lance” loading people nationwide, gives the loading stations an additional product to “sell”.

I think more and more Smart (and PLDT) can use this strategy of adding more pre-paid loading services in their loading stations. This was the same key feature that I took note of when Smart and PLDT brought together their services under one card.

Again, as for the quality of service, I couldn’t say whether Smart will have a highly satisfactory service. They haven’t had a stellar reputation, especially in a market that demands outstanding service more and more.

I say, take this to the next level. Use those 1Million Smart Loading stations to sell (and buy!) Smart Money! C’mon, let’s have it, break free from the accessibility barrier of m-commerce!

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e-load mo na!

So let me explain.

This morning, I did some work at at a free wifi cafe along Session Road (Cafe Zola). Ten minutes before my battery went zilch, I opened up my Gmail on Internet Explorer. It displayed around 25 messages. I also opened Thunderbird which I configured to download all my Gmail so that I could reply to emails offline and just send them away next time I connect to the Internet. Then my laptop when into hibernate with the wifi still on, Internet explorer still showing my Gmail inbox, and my Thunderbird still on halfway through the 100 mails it was downloading.

This afternoon, I turned on my laptop and there was my Internet Explorer. I knew there were no WiFi hotspots where I was, but what the heck, I clicked on one of my new Gmail messages from my Inbox in Internet Explorer. And the new message was displayed! Huh?! Where did that come from? How did Gmail display my message on Internet Explorer while i’m offline?

I was able to read the message. I know I couldn’t possibly send a reply offline, so I use thunderbird to store outgoing messages (for sending later on). I was able to archive messages via Gmail in Internet Explorer.

Not all Gmail messages in my Inbox can be opened. Sometimes it says “Unable to reach Gmail. Please check your internet connection and try again.” I just click okay and try opening another message. Some messages open.

This is a mystery to me, so far. I wonder if Internet Explorer or Gmail keeps a cache of new un-opened Gmail messages.

Has anybody had a similar experience? Care to explain, so that I can replicate this phenomenon of Checking Online Gmail Offline?

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Perplexed with guys at googleplex

But first, we create value.

• Came up with a brilliant idea for a book
• I wrote down a quick book concept, wrote down the summary and immediately identified some of the first next steps
• I’ve accomplished a few of the next steps
• engaged L, mom, dad and T in adding to the work
• been writing down on my cellphone, on paper, on the laptop the ideas that we come up with

I’ll be contacting good friend and book publisher R and will ask him how to put together this book. Have also a couple of friends from whom I’ll need some help too.

It’s a good first book project. Will it fly? I believe it will! It shall fly as long as I make it fly!

Wahoo!

It’s not often that a generic keyword puts me on the number one spot on Google Search.
I’m keeping this as a memento…

Celebrate! Especially when you’re on top! But not just when you’re on top
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I was wondering, isn’t there a videoke version of the Pabasa? I’m sure some people have thought of this already. This is what I have in mind:

• A CD that can be installed in the traditional Pinoy videoke machine that we find in every corner around the archipelago, wherever there’s a piyesta or inuman.
• It will have the lyrics of the defunct standard Pasyon.
• You can select the page number of the Pasyon book as if you were choosing a song number on the videoke.
• The images of the videoke will reflect images of the Passion of Christ
• Users can choose from among a dozen different tunes of the Pasyon from traditional, regional to modern (ocho-ocho or Papaya pasyon)
• And here’s the clincher! After more than 12 hours (or, for some, 24 hours) of the pasyon, the familiar concluding tune will play: “tatantan tan tan tan taaaaaaaaaan!!!!” and a score will display how well you sang your e-pasyon!

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pasyonate