Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent anyone else's view in any way, including those of my employer.
© Copyright 2010
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent anyone else's view in any way, including those of my employer.
© Copyright 2010
One reason why censorship won’t work 100% — not even in China — is that people will always look for a way around it. People have an intrinsic drive to be free, and to freely avail of information. To satisfy this, technology is readily available to anyone who needs it.
I was fortunate to have met Robert Guerra of Freedom House, an NGO that monitors (among others) press freedom in the world, in Hong Kong and then in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. In an effort to help spread the gospel of Internet Freedom of Expression, his team has compiled a set of instructional videos on how to use the technologies mentioned above. Here’s one of them:
From Mr. Guerra:
As part of our project on promoting freedom of expression through technology and circumvention tools, my team has produced a series of simple, easy to understand video tutorials on how to use some of the leading anti-censorship tools.
Our aim is to not only help facilitate the promotion of existing circumvention tools, but also encourage the development of new creative materials that will make circumvention tools cool, trendy and popular to a wider internet audience.
We would appreciate your help in sharing these videos with your friends, colleagues and networks. Our collection of videos can be found on YouTube.
For security reasons we have also created versions of the video tutorials that have had all references to Freedom House removed. The anonymous videos are available here.
GoDaddy iPhone App
It was pure delight to find out that GoDaddy — arguably the #1 domain registrar in the world — has an app for the iPhone / iPod touch. According to the App Store, it was posted late last year. Sometimes I get an inspiration for a domain name, and it’s now so much easier and more convenient for me to just whip out my trustee mobile device and access GoDaddy.com via mobile.
It’s a great little app: you can do pretty much all the basic domain-name registration stuff, plus a little more. Purchasing domain names, of course, is the main feature. But aside from that, you can also manage your domains, including updating nameservers and other DNS-specific records, domain ownership details, auto-renew settings, etc.
Here are a few screen shots of the GoDaddy iPod app in action, taken when I was acquiring yet another piece of Web real estate.
Whois service
There’s even a way for you to check who beat you to that domain name you’d wanted to get. An online whois service right on the palm of your hand. Actually, you can also do a whois on the domain name search results screen.
I have 60+ domain names registered, and as heavy user of mobile platforms, this GoDaddy app is now one of the most indispensable tools in my iPod touch. There are still some glitches, but I’m fairly certain GoDaddy’s going to be updating this application faithfully. Also, there’s only one way to pay: credit card; no PayPal payments accepted via this app yet. But other than that, it’s awesome!
Problem is, it might cause even more domain-buying sprees… 
I’ve been traveling around Mindanao these past few months and, to keep myself connected to the Internet I’ve been bringing along my Globe Tattoo broadband device. No matter where I am, and even if I’m on vacation, I can’t imagine not being able to connect to my email, social networking services, etc., so I don’t leave home without my mobile Internet gadget.
The Tattoo conveniently connects via USB and installed without a hitch on my Windows7-powered laptop. When I plugged it in the first time, the modem’s connectivity software installed itself (after my approval, of course) and was up and running in no time at all. Connecting to the network is a cinch, too!
Speaking of which, the Tattoo will be able to detect signal strength as well as the availability of WCDMA or HSDPA in your area. For best download/upload speeds, make sure you’re in an area where either WCDMA or HSDPA is present. (Where neither is available, chances are, you’ll be glad you had Internet connectivity at all.)
I’m happy with the broadband access I get in various places in Mindanao: Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Zamboanga City. When I go and visit more cities in the Philippine South, I’ll surely bring the Tattoo with me.
The Tattoo is available as a pre-paid and as a post-paid service. I use the former, and I am charged on the basis of duration. I remember when Internet service providers used to charge on a per-kilobyte basis, which was OK back then because connections were still very slow. But now that we have broadband access, it’s very advantageous for users of Globe Tattoo to be charged on a time-connected basis. We can download (and upload) much more in a short span of time and get charged only for the duration of connectivity.
If you don’t have yours yet, check out the Globe Tattoo broadband gallery of products.
[Media Release]
July 21, 2009, Manila, Philippines — Forty years ago today, on July 20, 1969, the world watched as the crew of Apollo 11 took the first human steps on the surface of the Moon. In celebration of this historic occasion, Google is launching Moon in Google Earth, an interactive 3D atlas of the Moon, viewable with Google Earth 5.0.
With Moon in Google Earth, users can explore a virtual Moonscape, follow guided tours from astronauts Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) and Jack Schmitt (Apollo 17), see the latest rover concepts by teams competing in the Google Lunar X-PRIZE, view high-resolution ‘Street View’ style panoramic photos, watch previously unreleased video footage captured from the lunar surface, and much more. Moon in Google Earth will also incorporate a complete lunar terrain data-set by Kaguya LALT, produced by JAXA/NAOJ, which will serve as the atlas’ base-map. Whether they are rediscovering the iconic moments in the history of Moon exploration or learning about them for the first time, Moon in Google Earth enables users to better understand the Moon, and our relationship to it, with an immersive, 3D experience.
“Forty years ago, two human beings walked on the Moon. Starting today, with Moon in Google Earth, it’s now possible for anyone to follow in their footsteps,” said Google Earth Product Manager Michael Weiss-Malik. “We’re giving hundreds of millions of people around the world unprecedented access to an interactive 3D presentation of the Apollo missions.”
The most recent tool to have been developed as a result of the Space Act Agreement between Google and NASA, Moon in Google Earth enables information about the Moon to be accessible to anyone in a unique three-dimensional context.
“Today’s announcement builds on the ongoing relationship with Google that Ames Research Center initiated in November 2006 when we signed a Space Act Agreement to foster collaboration with our Silicon Valley neighbor,” said S. Pete Worden, Director of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. “We’re excited to be a part of this latest chapter in Google’s efforts to bring virtual exploration of the Moon to anyone with a computer.”
In addition to satellite imagery and terrain, the following layers can be explored with Moon in Google Earth:
To experience Moon in Google Earth, open Google Earth 5.0 and switch modes from ‘Earth’ to ‘Moon’ on the top toolbar. Google Earth 5.0 can be downloaded at http://earth.google.com/moon.
For more information, have a look at our blog posts on the Official Google Blog and the Google Lat Long Blog.
A group of aggressively talented individuals, among them my blogger-friend, Kring E. of FunnySexy.ph, is gearing up for the launch of a bold and exciting project: Flippish.com. Dubbed as “the First Online Pinoy Video Channel”, Flippish promises to be the death of TV. 
In fact, that’s what they’re calling their launch: TV is dead.
If you think that’s hilarious, you should check out Kring’s blog! Anyway, here’s the press release for the launching party of this brave venture. (I wish I could say “See you there!” but — alas! — I’m all the way down south and probably won’t have the opportunity to visit the capital in July.)
FLIPPISH is a play on the word Filipino. It means anything that has Filipino flavor or could also mean something that is odd, crazy or weird. Flippish.com is the first Pinoy online video channel that produces original online shows that are of broadcast quality. The people behind flippish believe that it is about time that we Filipinos take on the challenge of coming up with online entertainment that is of international standards.
Flippish.com pushes the creative boundaries by creating a variety of bite-sized (5-8 minutes) videos that appeal to Filipinos of all shapes and sizes!
Shows that cover diverse genres such as Direk, a comedy about a hot-headed, emotional and over-the-top director who allows you to see what goes on in the world of production when the cameras stop rolling and LSS, which showcases some of the most talented, unsigned Filipino artists, whose songs might be the next big hit playing in your head. Another show is Flippish Specials, which is a collection of featured videos, event coverages, and documentaries made by the team.
Flippish.com will tickle your funny bone, get you up to speed on the latest hotspots and goings-on around and outside the Metro, stimulate you brain cells with thought-provoking reality shows and most importantly, entertain you until it becomes an essential part of your daily internet habit!
Flippish.com is spearheaded by Chris Tan, the Co-Founder and the Managing Director of Ideal Minds and Kring Elenzano, the Creative Director of Ideal Minds and Flippish.com. Chris is also currently the director for the Asian Poker Tour Series and was recognized as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2005. Kring, on the other hand, is one of the hottest young TV directors in the industry with several projects under her belt such as the reality TV show RIVERMAYA: BAGONG LIWANAG! In the blogosphere, she is known by her handle, FunnySexy.
Flippish.com will finally be officially launched on July 2, 2009 at Fiamma at Jupiter St., Makati. With the availability of the internet and increasing broadband speed, more people spend more time online nowadays and for these reasons, the people behind Flippish.com believe that “Television is Dead.” and that online entertainment is the wave of the future. Appropriately, this, too, is the theme of the launch party. New shows and talents will be introduced that night and viewers and fans may register on the site to receive special invites for the party.
For more information about the website, its shows and the launch party, do check out www.flippish.com.
[Media Release]
March 12, 2009, Manila, Philippines — Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today formally announced that tens of thousands of edits made by Filipinos on Google Map Maker can now be seen on Google Maps. Google Map Maker–an application that allows users to edit Google Maps data–was launched in the Philippines in October last year to provide local map enthusiasts a means to personally contribute to the building and updating of online map data for the country. Now millions of Google Maps users around the world can see more accurate and updated online maps of the Philippines including new roads, points of interests and regions all over the country.
Since the launch of Google Map Maker in the Philippines, hundreds of users have contributed tens of thousands of edits, reflecting the overwhelming enthusiasm by Filipinos to collaborate online and share their knowledge of their neighbourhoods with the rest of the Internet community. Google Map Maker edits have come from a diverse group of Filipino users all over the country including civil engineers, business executives, programmers, entrepreneurs, and students. Through a moderation and verification process, most of these edits, which include street-level data, landmark tags and business establishments, can now be seen on Google Maps.
“Congratulations to the thousands of Filipino users who have successfully contributed to Google Map Maker! The Philippines is one of the most challenging places to map because of the diverse topography of its more than 7,000 islands–this is why there is a dearth of accurate map data available online. Because of the collaborative efforts of local map enthusiasts, we are beginning to see the “physical face” of the Philippines getting clearer over time for the global community to see. This is a great start, but know there is much more to do, so we encourage you to join your fellow Pinoys and contribute to Google Map Maker to give the Philippines an accurate virtual country map to be proud of,” said Derek Callow, Head of Marketing, Google Southeast Asia.
“I’m passionate about editing maps and Google Map Maker’s interface is very intuitive and user-friendly. I started adding streets and establishments in Tuguegarao, where I was born, and Baguio City, where we lived when I was growing up. Then I quickly moved on to editing municipalities and cities,” said Wayne Manuel, one of the Philippines’ top contributors to Google Map Maker with several thousand edits. Manuel is a Chemical Engineering Filipino student currently studying overseas at the National University of Singapore. “It started out like a big jigsaw puzzle with many pieces missing. But when I saw the roads, street names and landmarks coming together on Google Map Maker, I felt really happy for my country and it encouraged me to contribute even more,” Manuel said.
“Seeing that the edits–including the ones I did–have been pushed to Google Maps means the Philippines is more and more on the global map, and that we put it there through our own Pinoy passion! It was personally satisfying for me. The reason I set out making edits is because I wanted to help promote the places that I grew up in and the country as a whole to the rest of the world. The mission continues and I hope even more Filipinos will join us on Google Map Maker to improve the online map of our beautiful country,” said Bernard Arellano III, another top contributor to Google Map Maker in the Philippines. Arellano, who works as a call center agent, made several thousand edits on Guimaras and Iloilo.
”I think it’s important that local users keep the edits coming in because having accurate map data helps promote the country’s viability to foreign investors and tourists,” said Dante Varias, a 56-year-old civil engineer who is also among Google Map Maker’s top contributors for the Philippines. “The Google Map Maker interface is so user-friendly you don’t need any specialized training before you can start editing.” Varias said that he had been looking for map-making software prior to the launch of Google Map Maker late last year. “When I discovered Google Map Maker, I immediately started enjoying the process of editing the map tiles of Cavite, so much so that after only 37 days, I had already added over several thousand edits on my own.”
Here are some screenshots and videos showing the amazing contributions of thousands of users of Google Map Maker in the Philippines:
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising programme provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.google.com.ph/.
Google and Google Maps are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
[Media Release]
It can be extremely stressful for businesspeople in these uncertain times. To put more time and energy on work may seem like the most practical way to survive and succeed in the global financial crisis, but doing so can also take its toll. Play and relaxation are much needed after a long day of business meetings and corporate decisions. Balance is the key to living a successful, happy life–in business and in everything else. But then again, in this harsh economic climate, more work means less play… or does it?
ExcelAsia President Rita Trillo-Ugarte
That’s why ExcelAsia President Rita Trillo-Ugarte chooses only the HTC Touch Pro in helping her keep a balance between business and fun. “I need a phone that is as fast and efficient as I want to be, so that I can communicate easily with my staff and my clients,” she says, “and the HTC Touch Pro does just that.” With its elegant touch-screen user interface and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, sending short text messages and typing out long e-mails and business letters on the Touch Pro can be done in a zip.
“The HTC Touch Pro really is a powerhouse beauty. It has all the features that I need, in a sleek and smooth little package,” says Rita. As ExcelAsia president and first and foremost a mother and a wife, Rita likes to stay on top of her business affairs without sacrificing time with her family. “My daughter, husband, and I were in Palawan recently, and I couldn’t believe I was able to take care of my e-mails through my phone! My laptop didn’t even get the service,” Rita explains. “I can be online all the time with my HTC Touch Pro, which is very necessary for me. Now I don’t need my laptop that much,” she says.
The HTC Touch Pro’s 2.8-inch VGA touch screen provides four times the resolution of most PDA phones, making e-mail and web-browsing easier and sharper. It also runs on the Windows Mobile 6.1 professional operating system, allowing quick and convenient access to Microsoft Office applications and important documents while on the go.
HTC Touch Pro
“I recommend the HTC Touch Pro to individuals like me who strive for balance between work and play. The Touch Pro is a fully equipped business phone with all the non-business perks. I can use the stylus, tap the unique TouchFLO 3D interface with my fingertips, or type using the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Even my friends think it’s so nice and chic!” says Rita.
Rita also likes taking pictures with her phone, especially with the HTC Touch Pro’s 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto-focus and flash. “I sent my sister Annie some pictures I took while we were in Palawan, and she couldn’t believe they were taken from my phone,” Rita says. And the wallpaper on her HTC Touch Pro screen? A lovely photo of husband Jose Mari and daughter Camila. No wonder Rita is always inspired with the most brilliant ideas.
A friend of mine alerted me to the latest developments in Google Earth with respect to Davao City. There are now 3-D renderings of some of the city’s more prominent buildings! Check out these images from Google Earth.
Image #01. The Marco Polo Hotel and the Ateneo de Davao University-College Campus — two of the most recognizable structures in the Davao vista. The 3 succeeding images display this pair in various points of view.
Image #02.
Image #03.
Image #04. Which building is that dark-hued structure at the lower right-hand side?
Image #05. Gaisano Mall of Davao. That reddish edifice to the right, where is that?
Can you guess the names of these other buildings?
Image #06.
Image #07.
Image #08. Two more very recognizable landmarks.
Image #09. The above buildings, seen from another angle.
Image #10. And then from a higher perspective.
Image #11. This deceptively looks like a Shangri-la kind of scenery, doesn’t it?
I just wish Google would update Davao’s satellite maps so that those sections covered by clouds would become visible. Plus, of course, there’ve been a lot more buildings that have been added to the landscape since the last satellite pass!
Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
[Media Release]
Users can dive into the ocean, travel back in time and visit Mars in the newest version of Google Earth
Manila, Philippines (February 3, 2009) – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Ocean in Google Earth, a new feature that enables users of Google Earth to dive beneath the water surface, explore 3D underwater terrain and browse ocean-related content contributed by leaders in ocean science and advocacy. The new version of Google Earth also introduces Historical Imagery, a feature that enables users to virtually travel back in time through archival satellite and aerial imagery, Touring, which makes it simple to create a narrated tour in Google Earth and share it with the world and Mars 3D, which features hi-res imagery and terrain of the red planet.
“With this latest version of Google Earth you can not only zoom into whatever part of our planet’s surface you wish to examine in closer detail, you can now dive into the world’s ocean that covers almost three-quarters of the planet and discover new wonders that had not been accessible in previous versions of this magical experience,” said The Honorable Al Gore at the launch event in San Francisco. “Moreover, with the new historical imagery feature, you can look back in time and see for yourself the unprecedented pace of change taking place on the Earth – largely because of human influences. For example, you can watch the melting of the largest glacier in Glacier National Park–the Grinnell Glacier–image by image, for the last decade.”
“In discussions about climate change, the world’s oceans are often overlooked despite being an integral part of the issue,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt. About one-third of the carbon dioxide that we emit into the atmosphere ends up in the oceans. Furthermore, biodiversity loss in our oceans in the next 20-30 years will be roughly equivalent to losing an entire Amazon rainforest, but this goes unnoticed because we can’t see it. This is why today’s launch of Google Earth 5.0 is so important – it gives us an opportunity to change everyone’s perspective.”
Ocean in Google Earth combines underwater terrain and expert content to provide users with an opportunity to explore some of the most difficult-to-reach parts of the world. Now the Philippines’ very own underwater attractions come alive via videos, images, and informative articles in Google Ocean. Filipino users can not only see vivid images of Apo Reef, the world’s second largest contiguous coral reef and the largest in the Philippines, but can also witness the archipelago’s full biodiversity with exciting visuals of sea animals in action, like a paragliding crab or rare deepwater snail that lives on a dog skull. Users in foreign countries can experience the Philippines’ beauty first-hand through Google Ocean, for example by exploring famous dive spots like Siargao’s Cloud Nine and Boracay’s Bulabog Lagoon, seeing videos about the exotic marine life of the region, reading about nearby shipwrecks like the USS Gambier Bay, and contributing photos and videos of favorite surf spots.
The Ocean feature is on by default in the newest version of Google Earth. As users zoom in on the ocean they will see a dynamic water surface, and once they dive beneath the surface they can navigate 3D sea floor terrain. The feature includes 20 content layers, containing information contributed by the world’s leading scientists, researchers, and ocean explorers (see the full list of partners). These include:
“What this project helped me begin to understand,” said John Hanke, Director of Google Earth and Maps, “is the role the ocean plays in global climate change and the impact that humans are having on the oceans and the creatures that live in it. It was a serious omission on our part not to include a better treatment of the oceans when we launched Google Earth, and I’m very happy that we’ve been able to address that. We now have a good substrate for publishing and exploring data about the ‘other’ two-thirds of the planet.”
The new feature was developed in close collaboration with oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and an advisory council of leading ocean advocates and scientists.
“I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new Ocean in Google Earth, ” said Sylvia Earle. “For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see the world, the whole world, with new eyes. In a stroke, Google Earth brings life and character to the blue part of the planet, and makes obvious the many ways land, water, atmosphere and living systems connect. Many ‘aha!‘ moments are sure to come as people discover new patterns, new correlations, and countless personal discoveries while vicariously diving into the waters of the world.”
The announcement was made this morning at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, one of the nation’s leading institutions for scientific education and research. Following the announcement, local fourth graders participated in an interactive lesson on marine ecosystems, designed specifically by Academy educators to use the new Ocean feature. “Information technology is key to the work that Academy scientists and educators do, and Google Earth is a leading example of such technology,” said Dr. Greg Farrington, Executive Director of the Academy. “Ocean in Google Earth opens up a new world of opportunities to explore and educate the public about the least understood parts of our planet.”
Also launched today:
Historical imagery: In previous versions of Google Earth, users could only view only one set of imagery for a given location. Now users can activate a time slider to see both new and older satellite imagery from around the globe, enabling them to observe a single location’s development over time.
Touring is a simple new way for users to create narrated tours of imagery and content in Google Earth. By simply pressing the “record” button, users can fly from place to place, zoom in or out and click on content balloons, providing voiceover narration along the way. Whether creating a tour of one’s family home or an in-depth study of environmental change, the tours are easy to create and even easier to share.
Mars 3D is the latest stop on Google’s virtual tour of the galaxy. Users can travel to Mars with the click of a button and see high resolution imagery and 3D terrain. They can fly to the top of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in our solar system, read geo-located excerpts about different locations on the planet from A Traveler’s Guide to Mars, observe where various Mars Rovers and Landers have touched down and much more.
GPS Tracking – Previously only available in the Plus and Pro versions of Google Earth, now all users can upload tracks from GPS devices to Google Earth, making it easy to visualize and record running, hiking and biking routes.
Google Earth 5.0 is now available in 40 languages (previously 26), including Filipino, as well as, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Hungarian, Hebrew, Indonesian, Czech, Greek, Norwegian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Croatian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Catalan, Latvian, Ukrainian, and Hindi.
Have you noticed the growing number of Filipino companies advertising on Facebook lately? This trend points to two things: 1) the population of Filipino users in Facebook has reached critical mass already; and, 2) businesses in the Philippines are finally grasping the reality behind ‘new media’ and the benefits of online advertising and marketing.
Facebook reports that the site now has upwards of 140 million active users, and that 70% of that is outside the U.S. (I would certainly love to find out the numbers from the Philippines!) And an even more significant demographic that will surely attract advertisers: the fastest growing segment of this population are 25 years old and older.
More statistics to whet an advertiser’s appetite:
What’s more, Facebook has made it tremendously accessible to publish ads on their site. There’s an easy-to-follow Web form that advertisers can use to create an ad, define its behavior (when to publish, duration and so forth), input the landing site address, and most significantly, set the desired target demographics.
This is something that’s not entirely possible — and is in fact quite hit-and-miss — with advertising on newspapers, TV or radio. On Facebook (and Google for that matter), advertisers can specify which age group, for instance, will be the target viewers of their ads with a certain degree of accuracy. Would you like only married women who are between 21 to 35 years old and are living in Metro Manila to see your ad? Consider it done.
As the number of ad placements from the Philippines rises on Facebook, Google properties, the vast number of Filipino blogs and other websites, conversely, advertising in traditional media seems to be experiencing a gradual decline. The pinch isn’t yet as painful as it is in the U.S. (as reported by TechCrunch as early as last year), but the downhill trend will start to become apparent here in the next couple of years.
As the venerable typewriter has largely been supplanted by the PC, so will the old forms of media become a thing of the past — maybe even during our lifetime. The age of electronic media is firmly upon us, and more people will soon be shifting to the Internet as their primary source of information.
Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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