July 1, 2011 3

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

JUN ICBAN Editor-in-Chief WRITERS

ART SAMANIEGO, JR. Section Editor

EDGARD HILARIO JAYE BAUTISTA JERRY LIAO ROM FERIA LEN AMADORA JOHN NIEVES ANNALYN ZOGLMANN JULIE ANN GATBONTON MATTHEW ZOGLMANN JOHN ALLYZA MARIE ALLAN FRANCISCO CHARMAINE JOHN ALEXEI VILLARAZA JC PULIDO JOSE MA. FERNANDEZ JOSE GAMALIEL FELONGCO GLENN RICHMOND ONG MANILA BULLETIN PUBLISHING CORPORATION P.O. Box 769, Manila Bulletin Building, Muralla corner Recoletos, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines Cable Bulletin Telex 40240 Tel. No. 527-8121 Fax 527-7510 connecting all Departments ATTY. HERMOGENES P. POBRE DR. EMILIO T. YAP President & Publisher Chairman of the Board CHIEF JUSTICE HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR. (SC RET.) DR. EMILIO C. YAP III Exec. Vice President-Advertising Department Honorary Chairman of the Board PACIENCIA M. PINEDA RAMON C. TING Exec. Vice President-Advertising Department AVP-Metro Manila Branches Department SUSAN ROCES MARTIN V. ISIDRO, JR. Exec. Vice President-Public Relations Department AVP-Product Distribution Department LYNE A. ABANILLA JOHNNY L. LUGAY Vice President-Classified Advertising Department AVP-Information & Communication Technology Dept. MELITO S. SALAZAR, JR. ELIZABETH T. MORALES Vice President-Advertising Department AVP-Accounting Department CARMEN S. SUVA ALVIN P. MENDIGORIA Vice President-Public Relations Department AVP-Engineering Department BRIG. GEN. PROCESO D. ALMANDO (WPD RET.) RAUL B. RODRIGUEZ Vice President-Administration Department Manager Corporate Communications Dept. AURORA CAPELLAN TAN ROMEO R. RAQUION Manager Production Department Vice President-Executive Department SANDY U. COTOCO GERONIMO S. MONTALBAN AVP-Classified Advertising Department Manager-Credit and Collection Department KATHERENE S. CHUA ANTONINO F. ALEJANDRO Manager-Metro Manila Branches Department AVP-Advertising Department FLORENDO B. GAMALLO JESUS H. MALLARE Manager-Circulation Department AVP-Circulation Department DANTE M. SIMANGAN Senior Manager-Provincial Branches Department For Dealership, please call CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT ALBERTO B. BALANAG SAMMY F. BALOSO Supervisor - Northern Luzon Supervisor - Southern Luzon Tel.# (02) 4507096-97 For Advertisement, please call Display Ads: ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: MENCHU D. AMBROSIO Manager - Brand and Display Operation MARIE LAPIRA Asst. Manager-Display Ads Sales

ake a look at our collection of electronics tools and devices featured inside this issue of the Digital Generation. Most of them are designed to help ease your worries and free you from stress that usually comes with school openings on these islands we call home. See those tablet computers and ereaders? Their features and functions can let todays students finally let go of those bulky and back-breaking textbooks and notebooks. After all, there are no reasons at all to lug those books around if you can download their electronic version into your ereader or iPad. Meanwhile, those computers that come in varying weights and sizes are there to help you find content from the Internet, as well as to create content as you fulfill your school requirements, such as thesis and term papers. Certainly, some of these toys have no obvious usefulness; but, hey, they can at least help you kill some time while waiting for your next class. They can even help you record the sights and sounds that define your school life. And maybe even blog about it. You should, however, never lose of your primary reason for spending time in the classroom you are there to learn and gain wisdom. These electronic toys are there merely to make the whole thing a little bit easier to make you do a bit more, and more efficiently. They are useful. They are desirable. But never ever sell any of your internal organs for any of these toys. And despite Apples rapture-inducing marketing prowess, your kidney is worth way much more than the iPad 2. And, hey, we do not want to sound patronizing. But while we ourselves doubt that Rizal and Bonifacio ever said this, we are saying it nevertheless: enjoy your school life and make the most of it.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES DON PANLILIO GREG DY Senior Account Executive Senior Account Executive Direct: 527-7524; Trunkline: 527-8121 to 35 locals 305 or 309; Fax: 527-7533 E-mail: mbmagz@mb.com.ph or mbmagz@gmail.com

Digital Generation is a quarterly technology magazine published by the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation with editorial and business ofces at Manila Bulletin, Muralla corner Recoletos Streets, Intramuros, Manila. No part of this magazine may be reproduced and reprinted without the prior approval of the publisher, who reserves the right to accept or deny editorial or advertising material. The publisher also does not authenticate any claim or guarantee offered by the advertisers in this magazine. Story proposals may be emailed to technews@mb.com.ph. Publication of such stories, however, is not guaranteed. Materials submitted voluntarily such as manuscripts, photographs and artworks will not be returned. Copyright 2011 The Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved For comments, suggestions and inquiries, telefax +632 527 75 28, or email technews@mb.com.ph

4 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

ePrint-enabled printers in Google Cloud

Easily, securely print from Google apps without a PC connection
P has announced that Google Cloud Print users can print directly to any HP ePrintenabled printer from any Google Cloud Print supported app on any computer or smart phone. HPs portfolio of webconnected and cloud-aware printers for home and business are the first to support Google Cloud Print out of the box.

The combination of Google Cloud Print and HP ePrint printers makes printing from any web, mobile, or desktop app that supports Google Cloud Print more intuitive, accessible and useful by eliminating the need for a print driver or PC connection to the printer. Apps supported by Google Cloud print currently include Gmail for Mobile, Google Docs for Mobile and Chrome OS, and will expand to include third-party apps.

Making it easy for our customers to print where and how they want is a top priority for HP, said Armando Pascual, General Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Philippines. With HP ePrint and cloud-aware printers, you get the best experience printing via Google Cloud Print. Users simply add the unique email address of their HP ePrint-enabled Photosmart, Officejet or LaserJet

Pro to their Google account, which provides the ability to print easily and securely from Google apps to the selected HP printer. Users are rapidly migrating to web and mobile apps, and Google Cloud Print brings full-featured printing capabilities to these apps, said Mike Jazayeri, Product Management Director, Google. We are excited that HP has brought the first generation of cloud-ready printers to the

country and are now available in the market. While cloud printing is possible with any printer that is connected to a PC, users can achieve a more streamlined, intuitive experience by printing directly to a cloud-ready printer. A full list of HP printers compatible with Google Cloud Print and more information on HP ePrint is available at http://www.hp.com/unitedstates/campaigns/hp-eprintgoogle-cloud-print/.

Tips for rainy day photography

ot many of us will risk our lives racing into the path of a tornado to photograph the funnel, like cameraman Jim Reed, but many of us will risk our cameras in the rain trying to get a shot of a kids soccer game or an impressive cloud formation. Reed offered some tips to help snap shooters operate in inclement weather. While some of these tips are for shooting video, they apply to still photography as well.

1) Shoot Quickly. When photographing tornadoes, Reed doesnt have the luxury of standing in one place long. My average shoot time is 90 seconds once my feet are out of that vehicle, he said. Even in driving rain, that means the camera doesnt get too wet. But to get the quick shots, he sets everything on the camera except focus before stepping into the damp. When not actively shooting, I just tuck my camera under

my rain jacket. 2) Towel Off. One of my favorite tools is a lot of towels, he said. He buys packs of them at discount stores. I have them in every pocket of my vehicle so I can dry my gear if it gets wet he said. Just be sure to wash them first because of lint. Or you can go with a lint-free microfiber chamois, which can be rung out and used over and over.

3) Bag it. Although not a huge fan of camera covers or housings - they slow down his shooting, he said -- Reed did praise the camera covers from Aquatech, which are made to fit specific cameras with clear windows where the LCD viewers are and Velcro openings. He said he also had success with covers he juryrigged in the field. I have had luck with rubber bands and Wal-Mart sacks, he said. But

take the sack off as soon as possible. It can backfire, he said. It can trap moisture, which can then seep into the camera. 4) Stormy Weather. If you are trying to catch dramatic weather shots, youll want to set your camera manually. Raindrops can confuse the automatic focus, and overcast skies can confuse automatic exposure. One of the

first things I learned shooting clouds or snow is you have to overexpose or it comes out an unpleasant grey, said Mr. Reed. Go up one extra stop, so if the camera meter says f5.6, go to f4, he said. He also encourages people to bracket, meaning to overexpose and underexpose as you learn how it affects your shots. 5) Twilight, the Photo. A great way to get a dramatic shot is a timed exposure as the sun goes down. People who know me say I am a twilight junkie, said Reed. You can often get great shots up to an hour after sunset. We wouldnt see it standing there, but if I shot a one-second exposure, youd see a sky color mixed between turquoise and cobalt blue. You need a tripod for that shot, and a cable release, so you dont shake the camera when you press the shutter. Or you can try another trick from Reeds camera bag. On most cameras you have a timed release, so set it for a second and step back. (NYT)

6 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Experience a new era of ROG with a range of highperformance products for the demanding PC gamers
With all new motherboards, graphics cards, high-end gaming notebooks, headset, powerful desktop and a 27-inch 3D desktop display
Notebook G53Sx 3D

SUS has introduced a number of exciting new products for high-performance gaming PCs to further expand its Republic of Gamers (ROG) range. Established five years ago, ROG is committed to developing the ultimate high-performance hardware. The ROG philosophy is based on the core ideals of class-leading performance, innovative user controls and gamer-focused design, said ASUS Vice President and GM of Worldwide Sales, Jackie Hsu. The products announced today not only hold true to these ideals, but also introduce a host of new innovations that push high-end PC performance to even greater extremes. Designed for hardcore gamers who want to be able to play anywhere, the G74Sx gaming notebook uses a second generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GTX 560M graphics for outstanding performance. Gamers looking for similar instant action in desktop form are well-served by the new CG8565 Gaming System with a Z68 chipsetbased motherboard, stealth fighter-inspired case design and a host of easy-to-use overclocking features. Asus also unveiled three new ROG motherboards based on the latest Intel

and AMD chipsets that bring new levels of performance for PC builders. The Maximus IV GENE-Z and Maximus IV Extreme-Z both use the new Intel Z68 chipset to deliver unparalleled gaming and overclocking features, while the Crosshair V Formula is the first AMD 990FX-based motherboard supporting both 3-Way SLI and CrossFireX, and with a graphical UEFI BIOS. Two new NVIDIA GTX 580-based graphics cards, the MATRIX GTX580 and MARS II, further expand the ROG range. Recognizing that a successful gaming experience depends on more than just what is inside a PC, ROG now also includes new PC peripherals. The first peripheral in the ROG family is the Vulcan ANC gaming headset with active noise-cancelling technology, which ensures an immersive audio experience, whatever the gaming environment. Combine all the great ROG hardware and attach it to an ASUS VG278H 3D 27-inch display that is designed for gaming, and gamers can become immersed in the latest titles. Zane Ball, General Manager for Desktops at Intel, said: Weve had great success in the gaming market and we appreciate that a vendor like ASUS is devoted to this field.

The G74Sx gaming notebook uses a second generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GTX 560M graphics for outstanding performance. Gamers looking for similar instant action in desktop form are well-served by the new CG8565 Gaming System with a Z68 chipset-based motherboard and stealth ghter-inspired case design.

8 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

New Toshiba Satellite P745 Series

Designed to offer premium HD entertainment with high-quality multimedia features
the notebook speakers when it is switched off. This means there is no need to carry external speakers because there is already a great set in the notebook. Breathe new life into your regular DVDs and homemade videos with the exclusive Toshiba Video Player. This software application converts 2D content into 3D in real-time and en-

oshibas Singapore Computer Systems Division (CSD), a division of Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd, has announced its new featured-packed entertainment notebook, the Satellite P745. Targeted at advanced digital entertainment users and designed to provide cutting-edge high definition performance, the Satellite P745 series offers a perfect blend of premium entertainment features, productivity capabilities and a highly-durable textured design to cater for your every entertainment need. The new Satellite P745 seamlessly blends style with multimedia performance, incorporating an all-new stylish and durable finish, the latest performance-class components and cutting-edge technologies designed to boost high-def entertainment, productivity and creativity, said

Wong Wai Meng, Senior Manager of Product Marketing, Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd. After 25 years in the laptop business, we are still pushing the boundaries of what a laptop can do by inventing new technologies so our customers can experience content in ways theyve only dreamed and get the most out of their multimedia and entertainment whether its HD videos and photos, gaming or music. Designed to look as good as it performs, the Satellite P745 is strikingly crafted in an all-

new eye-catching exterior finish which blends a durable textured surface over the cover and a palm rest with a glossy trim. Spotted in a premium metallic, fingerprintproof black finishing faade, the LED cover and keyboard are topped off with a striped design texture. Complemented with an illuminated raised-tiled keyboard and wide multi-touch touchpad, it provides perfect contrast and further adds a distinctive aesthetic appeal that creates a unique look and feel that make surrounding people envy. Continuing Toshibas legacy of providing superior audio, the laptops are equipped with

booming harman/kardon stereo speakers that provide sensational sound for music, movies and games. In addition, Dolby Advanced Audio technology brings together a suite of technologies designed to provide a stunning audio experience from any pair of speakers or any set of headphones. Adding a new level of realism to movies, music, and games, this is the quality audio customers have been missing from their PCs. The system also features Toshiba Sleep-and-Music1 that lets you listen to music from your MP3 Player through

Designed to look as good as it performs, the Satellite P745 is strikingly crafted in an all-new eye-catching exterior nish which blends a durable textured surface over the cover and a palm rest with a glossy trim. Spotted in a premium metallic, ngerprintproof black nishing faade, the LED cover and keyboard are topped off with a striped design texture.

ables you via HDMI to enjoy a high-class entertainment experience on a large screen of an external 3D-ready TV set perfect for enjoying with friends and family. In addition you are also able to enjoy 3D DVDs on your external 3D TV via the HDMI connection. The system also offers Toshibas unique Resolution+ technology. Built into the Toshiba DVD Player software, Resolution+ technology upconverts standard-definition movies and instantly improves sharpness and color for a picture that looks and feels more like HD. This new mobile entertainment powerhouse not only meets the needs of movie and sound enthusiasts, it can easily handle demanding entertainment tasks by working with powerful 2nd generation Intel processors and a wide selection of advanced multimedia features.

10 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

he secret behind the success of one of the countrys top architecture firms, W.V. Coscolluela and Associates (WVCA), the brains behind skyscrapers in Makati, shopping malls for Shoe Mart and Robinsons group, as well as condominiums and residential projects, is a strong foundation.

Creating the pillars of long-lasting success Gil Coscolluela, architect of WVCA, shares that their companys success is deeply rooted in integrity and customer trust. My father, who started the company, is a very hands-on person and we keep the same attitude in every project that we handle. We also have a specific group devoted to one project in order to have a systematized and well-focused project development. To provide the best service possible, Coscolluela gets involved in the different stages of every project. My profession entails me to travel a lot, whether to attend meetings or visit the site. Good thing, I can work wherever I go because I have my Nokia E7. It is quite compact and packs many features and items that are readily available for me such as 3G and access to Internet that let me stay on top of business. WVCAs reliable reputation and trusted services has created a repetitive and growing clientele that made the company stand for over 40 years. In maintaining this solid reputation trusted by clients, Gil Coscolluela makes sure to be on top of the game even when hes mobile. Success thats rooted in family Green architecture is all

the rage these days, but for Gelo Maosa, principal architect of A. Maosa+Architects, building sustainable structures is more than just going green. Its about having a good design thats practical and ecologically responsive to the natural climate of the place where youre building your structure, he explains. This philosophy is deeply embedded in Maosas blood; after all, he comes from an illustrious family of architects who has been practicing green architecture even before it was coined. Today, hes one of the very few green architects whose projects have been recognized for being climate-conscious yet contemporary and distinctly Pinoy. Pushing the boundaries of architecture requires Maosa to keep abreast with everything, and thanks to his Nokia E7, he can keep up with his game all the time. The revolutionary USB On-The-Go is

Real success on the go with the new Nokia E7

Gelo Maosa

Tan travels a lot to handle multi properties in different parts of Manila. And while on the go, he keeps a semblance of his ofce desk with the help of the latest technology. With Nokia E7, I can do most of my work in my car close deals over the phone, give instructions through SMS, and approve agreements and marketing collateral layouts through the phones Mail for Exchange.

a handy feature that lets me transfer my files anytime and share them directly with clients and colleagues. The Mail for Exchange feature is also very useful, especially when I need to answer corporate emails when Im on the go, he shares. More than anything, its the Nokia E7s capability to keep him connected with his family and friends that counts. With my Nokia E7, I am able to stay in touch with my family and friends through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. To me, success should be a combination of creativity and passion for whatever you do while staying rooted in family and relationships. Burning passion realizes dreams Coming up with a unique

masterplan and materializing the dream are two different goals that Megaworld has achieved. The company has led the trend of live-work-play inspired properties and developed a township that offers a modern Filipino lifestyle. Kevin Tan, first vice president and head of the commercial division of Megaworld Corporation, the developer of Eastwood City, McKinley Hill, and Resorts World Manila, believes that the company is driven by a burning desire to succeed. The actualization of ones dreams defines success. Imagination and vision creates the dream, but passion and vigor realizes it, he explains. It is not by chance that he is ahead of the pack because he is much dedicated to his profession. Tan travels a lot to handle multi properties

in different parts of Manila. And while on the go, he keeps a semblance of his office desk with the help of the latest technology. With Nokia E7, I can do most of my work in my car close deals over the phone, give instructions through SMS, and approve agreements and marketing collateral layouts through the phones Mail for Exchange, says Tan. Megaworld continues to climb the ladder as it creates a new trend, now leaning towards tourism. In every step of the challenges ahead, Kevin Tan is unfazed knowing he can stay on top of his business whenever and wherever. Behind all their success, what these men of ingenuity have in common is a powerful tool, which allows them to achieve success wherever they go.

July 1, 2011 11

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Q&A: Mac to turn a Windows laptop into Linux machine

Q.My old Windows XP laptop crashes constantly and I have decided to wipe it all and install Ubuntu Linux on it to maybe squeeze a few more years out of it as a Web-browsing and e-mail machine. Id like to burn an installation CD from the software available on the Ubuntu site on my Mac, but will a Mac-burned disc work on a Windows computer? A.If you burn the downloaded Ubuntu file properly, you should be able to create a system installation disc on your Mac that you can then use to reformat the old Windows laptop as a Linux machine. Start by downloading the Ubuntu CD file from the companys site to the Mac. The file should be names something like ubuntu-11.04-desktop-i386.iso. (The .iso file extension means it is a disc image and an exact copy of the master CD used to install Ubuntu Linux.) Use the Macs Disk Utility program to burn the .iso file to a CD in a way that the old Windows laptop can recognize it as a system installation disc. After the Ubuntu .iso file has fully downloaded to the desktop, open the Macs Applications folder and open the Utilities folder within it. The Disk Utility program is inside the Utilities folder, so double-click Disk Utility to start it up. Next, put a blank recordable CD in the Macs disk drive. Drag the Ubuntu .iso file from the desktop and drop it on the left pane of the open Disk Utility window. Click on the .iso file listed in the left pane and then click the Burn button at the top of the Disk Utility window to start the process. After the CD is finished burning, eject it from the Mac and put it into the disc drive of the Windows laptop. When the CD starts up, follow the instructions on screen to install Ubuntu Linux. (NYT) Q&A: E-books Without an E-Reader Q.I cant open an ePub file on my computer. What is this file type and is there anyway to read one of these files on the computer? A.The ePub format is a standard used for electronic book files and allows for text that can be reflowed and resized on screen. Many e-readers can open and display ePub files, and there are programs for the computer that can also handle the format. So to read the ePub file, you should first get a program that can open it and install it on your computer. Then open the ePub file within that program to read it. These ePub-friendly programs include the free Adobe Digital Editions software. (NYT)

12 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

good friend of mine had been complaining that her iPhone 3GS battery was holding less and less of a charge. When we got together at 5 p.m. one recent day, it was at 5 percent full and it had been fully charged that morning. She had barely used it all day. The phone was apparently running itself dry simply by being turned on. The single biggest battery consumer is the screen brightness. But it wasnt especially bright on this phone. So I suggested that she take the phone to an Apple store to get the $60 battery replacement service. In fact, there was an Apple store only two blocks away, so I accompanied her - and found out, upon arrival, that there is no $60 battery replacement service! Theres one for iPods, but apparently not for the iPhone. There are plenty of doit-yourself and third-party battery-replacement services that advertise online, but the Apple store Genius, named Nicole, said none of that would be necessary. She tested the battery and found that it was perfectly fine! Instead, Nicole pointed out a few things that were contributing to my friends rapid battery depletion. I took notes and thought Id pass them along.

Ways to prolong battery life

iPhone checks for e-mail only when you actually open the email app. Your battery goes a lot farther. (If you have a corporate Exchange account, your calendar and address-book data will similarly be updated only when you open those apps.) * GPS checks. In Settings ->General->Location Services, youll see a list of all the apps on your phone that are using your phones location feature to know where you are. (Its a combination of GPS, cell-tower triangulation and, on some phones, Wi-Fi hotspot triangulation.) All of that checking uses battery power, too. My friend had dozens of apps with Location Services turned on, many of which didnt really need to be on. She turned most of them off. * Notifications. Similarly, in Settings -> Notifications, you see a list of apps that are allowed to display pop-up notifications (those blue text bubbles that look like text messages). To do that, they have to monitor whats going on with your phone - and that takes juice. Turn off the ones you dont really need. * Background apps. Nicole the Genius discovered that my friend had a huge number of apps open - maybe 40 of them. She maintained that they were using battery power, too, in the background. Now, I kept my mouth shut. But Id been led to believe that background apps are generally frozen into suspended animation precisely so that they dont use battery power. In fact, Apple was criticized when it introduced multitasking in the latest iPhone software, precisely because apps dont actually keep operating in the background. Only a few sanctioned features keep running in the background (Internet radio playback and GPS tracking, for example). Even so, Nicole quit all 40 of the apps that were still open. (To do that, double-press the Home button to open the multitasking app switcher. Hold your finger down on any icon until they all start wiggling. Tap the little X close boxes to manually quit open apps.) Did the Nicole treatment work? Very well indeed. The next day, my friends battery, by the same time of day (5 p.m.), was still at 80 percent! So there you go: How to make your iPhone battery last a lot longer. (David Pogue, NYT)

* Push e-mail. This, I believe, was the big one. My friend has seven e-mail accounts, and her phone was checking each of them every 15 minutes. If you turn off the Push feature, and set it to Manually instead (in Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendars>Fetch New Data), then your

There are plenty of do-it-yourself and third-party battery-replacement services that advertise online, but the Apple store Genius, named Nicole, said none of that would be necessary. She tested the battery and found that it was perfectly ne! Instead, Nicole pointed out a few things that were contributing to my friends rapid battery depletion. I took notes and thought Id pass them along.

July 1, 2011 13

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Truly the Art of VAIO

Witness the art of craftsmanship, secrets behind a VAIO masterpiece
ehind every work of art there are stories. Stories of the creators, stories of inspiration, and stories of the masterpiece. Every detail is painstakingly measured and thought of before the final product comes to light. This holds true for VAIO. From the materials used, to the colors and the craftsmanship VAIO lives up to the prestige of art. While the company is known for introducing breakthroughs, VAIO product engineers are known for their overpowering creative compulsion to place their products above the offerings of competing brands. With the painstaking passion of artists, they craft technology and design to achieve the perfect balance between elegance and substance. To date, VAIO has always been regarded as a premium quality brand offering products with the same high standards. But like a work of art, VAIO transcends its subject matter. So much thinking is invested on each creation explaining why every VAIO is unique. Thus, VAIO is more than just specs. Premium quality is the upmost consideration with VAIO. It includes capturing the wants and needs of every customer. Knowing that every person has different personalities and desires, the product engineers designed VAIO to cater to these varied wishes. Mobile VAIO laptops are created for those who are always on the go, beautifully designed PCs for the fashion-forward, technologyadvanced laptops for those who love the best machinery and innovative gadgets, said Yung Yap, Director, VAIO Marketing & IT Sales, Sony Philippines. VAIO is a brand that does not make general products for the faceless masses, but who thinks of its customers as different individuals who have various needs. VAIO is not just a laptop, but an investment for its users. The previous season saw the arrival of VAIO E, Sonys youthful line-up in glossy colors and unique patterns. From the college halls to the business district boardrooms, VAIO E embodies vibrancy and dynamism of each persons individuality. Then theres the Sony 3D VAIO Technology -the BEST IN QUALITY. The product engineer of this particular model wanted to make sure that he can do the best that he can, thus, sacrificing the pioneering of this particular technology. But in the end, he succeeded and created the BEST 3D PC TECHNOLOGY in the market and completing the brilliant Sony 3D World - strengthening the whole concept to offer the best 3D solution to the market to date.

14 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

What Do Men Really Want

Latest line of Gateway Notebooks has got it all covered
hile most women prefer to talk about anything related to fashion and beauty and are perceived to be utterly discriminating and hard to please, 21st Century men are likewise deemed picky and would need to see the value in any purchase, especially when it comes to their everyday tools, whether business or personal. This is where the new set of notebooks from US-based computer manufacturer Gateway comes to the fore. Launched today among the local IT and lifestyle media, the Gateway NV47H and ID57H both exude the ideal appeal thats perfect for the modern man and would make them want these two gizmos even more for their everyday use at work or at play. Make men drool with excitement upon seeing the Gateway NV47Hand why not? The Intel Core i5-2410M (3 MB L3 cache, 2.30GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.90GHz, DDR3 1333 MHz, 35 W) processor that supports Intel 64 architecture and Intel Smart Cache makes the Gateway NV47H a tempting proposition for the mans next gadget acquisition. The Mobile Intel HM65 Express Chipset, together with the 2GB DDR3 memory, allows for an unabated multitasking of applications, play-

ing of music, videos, or even games, making the Gateway NV47H an even more formidable device, as brawny and as powerful as men want their gadgets to be. To store their important files, men would find the robust 750GB hard drive of the Gateway NV47H more than enough to accommodate their important files. If they are on the go, theyd find the Intel HD Graphics 200 with 128MB of dedicated system memory a nifty attribute to view their videos or photos with utmost clarity and vividness, especially when viewed through the Gateway NV47Hs 14-inch highdef, high-brightness Gateway Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD display screen. Of course, its not just the video but also the audio quality that makes the Gateway NV47H a must-have, with two built-in stereo speakers with high-definition audio support to make listening to his favorite groovy music a more enticing activity. And connectivity is another outstanding element of the Gateway NV47H with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Certified seamless connectivity to the Internet, more hours to play online games on his spare time, which man in his right mind wouldnt want that, while

SJV40

having his coffee break inside his favorite coffee shop? However, like any typical macho, men wouldnt settle for just one choice. Theres got to be another oneperhaps an even better choice. So

SJM50

Gateway gives the ID57H, another intelligent option. This time coming in with an Intel Core i7-2620M (4MB

L3 cache, 2.70 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.40GHz, DDR 1333 MHz, 35W) processor, the same chipset as that of the NV47H but a bigger memory at 4GB DDR3 for a more blazing-fast performance, exactly what the man wants since he likes it fast and hard. The 15.6-inch high-definition, high-brightness Gateway Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD makes viewing more enjoyable since its slightly bigger than its NV47H sibling. Video quality is of the same outstanding level as the NV47H but a more powerpacked audio system courtesy of the Optimized Dolby Home Theater v4 audio enhancement that makes listening to any kind of media a truly outof-this-world auditory experience. Coupled with an 8.5-hour long battery life, who needs to bring the AC adapter? Well, theres one just in case the man loses track of time toying with his new nifty gadget. So what else does the man want for his laptop? The Gateway NV47H and ID57H both have those sexy curves that men look for (no, not those types of curves) and the brains that go along with. True beauty and brains, thats what the Gateway NV47H and ID57H are all about. Again, what else do men would want in their laptop? Seems that Gateway has got it all covered.

The 15.6-inch high-denition, high-brightness Gateway Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD makes viewing more enjoyable since its slightly bigger than its NV47H sibling. Video quality is of the same outstanding level as the NV47H but a more power-packed audio system courtesy of the Optimized Dolby Home Theater v4 audio enhancement that makes listening to any kind of media a truly out-ofthis-world auditory experience.

July 1, 2011 17

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN
and their IT practitioners need to first recognise that operational activities (problem management, approval, configuration, provisioning, and so on) in a virtualised environment are different from those in a traditional environment. In a virtualised environment, the needs of multiple business groups and application environments are supported by a common pool of resources. Accordingly, operational activities have to be approached on a more automated, integrated, and coordinated basis, with a view to managing the entire virtualised environment as a cohesive whole. Dells Virtual Integrated System (VIS) enables enterprises to do just this. Common, Easy-to-Manage Resource Pool Designed to provide an open, cross-vendor data centre platform that boosts IT efficiency and take advantage of advances in virtualisation and cloud computing, VIS unifies server, storage, and networking assets into a common resource pool that can be managed using common tools, enabling IT managers to provision and automate infrastructure management at every layer physical or virtual using any leading hypervisor. Dells VIS architecture addresses the people and processes needed to efficiently operate a data centre, and is unique in that it works with a customers existing architecture and their current products and investments whether from Dell or another provider. Dell recognises businesses have made significant technology purchases and its approach to converged architectures allows them to preserve and fully leverage their existing data centre infrastructure without creating technology silos or undertaking

Enabling Holistic Data Centre Operation with Dell Virtual Integrated System
a rip-and-replace strategy, Ricky Lopez, Country Manager for Commercial Business The Dell VIS architecture consists of three key components: Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager (AIM) simplifies data centre management by enabling a single administrator to allocate server, storage and network resources each server image is given its own persona against application workloads. The solution can bring together heterogeneous hardware offerings and leading virtualisation hypervisors to create virtual pools of resources that are easy to manage. AIM abstracts the hardware and virtualisation layers from the data centre so that customers can focus on allocating a single pool of resources instead of managing various technologies. Dell VIS Self-Service Creator Dells VIS Self-Service Creator can shorten the time it takes to deploy new business applications by standardising and automating the way applications are deployed. The component has a webbased portal that enables authorised users to select, deploy and manage a customised catalogue of IT applications and resources, reducing the time it takes to deploy a workload to just minutes. The VIS Self-Service Creator can increase IT control while accelerating IT processes, adding up to savings in time and resources. All this is done seamlessly with the ability to orchestrate these services across multi-vendor hardware and software solutions. enterprises can efficiently manage their current environment and plan for the future more effectively. These three components are complemented by a range of services capabilities that help customers assess, design and implement the VIS into new or existing IT environments. Transiting to Cloud-Like Computing Using the Dell VIS architecture and services, enterprises can transition new and existing technologies to an open, cloud-like model that dynamically provisions application workloads and unifies heterogeneous compute, storage and networking assets into a common resource pool. Dell VIS Director Dell VIS Director is the IT operations hub for the virtual environment, giving customers a comprehensive view of virtual dependencies and enabling customers to quickly identify issues within the virtual environment. The module includes advanced reporting, what-if and trend analysis, capacity and utilisation reporting and cost allocation and chargeback solutions, giving IT operators a greater level of visibility into their IT environment and better information upon which to take action. With VIS Director, This way, they can respond to changes faster by selecting and deploying standard IT resources almost instantly, customise workflows to help automate common tasks associated with workload deployment, and cost-effectively deliver right-sized IT capability at the right service levels and support business growth while keeping existing resources under control, said Lopez.

T plays a vital role in modern enterprises, smoothening business processes and informing both strategic and tactical decisions. Consequently, the IT function is under constant pressure to fine-tune IT infrastructure to make it perform better and enable the organisation to respond quickly to an ever-changing environment. In addition, the IT organisation now has to deliver services quickly to users so they can become more productive and efficient. And it has to do all these while keeping a handle on costs. To deliver upon its now more demanding mandate, the IT function in an increasing number of enterprises have embarked on optimisation initiatives such as virtualisation and its extension, cloud computing. Both involve the use of shared infrastructure (primarily servers, storage and network resources) and serve up a multitude of benefits. These benefits include simplified physical IT infrastructure, lower TCO, scalability, resilience and reliability, enhanced security and outage recovery, and faster service delivery. But while virtualisation and cloud computing are beneficial,

they also introduce new challenges. Take hypervisors as an example. In essence software for managing virtual machines, a hypervisor is installed on server hardware dedicated to running guest operating systems. More often than not, several hypervisors are used in a single virtualised environment. Given that each hypervisor comes with its own management tools, and that there is typically very little integration among the different sets of tools, performing tasks (for example, provisioning workloads) across multiple hypervisors can be a challenge.

Virtual World Not Without Challenges Tellingly, a recent IDC survey found IT decision-makers responsible for managing virtualised environments indicating their most important challenges as those relating to reducing complexity (76.1%), integrating virtual and physical server management (73.1%), standardising management processes (71.1%), improving virtual server lifecycle operations (69.7%), and reducing virtual machine sprawl (65.2%). To get the best ROI from their virtualisation efforts, enterprises

18 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Doing things the hard way

By JOSE MA J FERNANDEZ

t is that time of the year when students troop back to school, to encounter new learning situations, to tackle (sometimes difficult) teachers and subjects, and perhaps, show off the latest in gizmos and gadgets accumulated during the summer. All meant, of course, to make going through school less of a drudge, and to help make things easier for the average student. If the students of today were to be thrown back into the period of the 60s and early 70s -- when electric typewriters were the norm, and snow-pake had just replaced the trusty old erasers for getting things corrected, and calculators could only do only the most basic functions there would be a terrible disconnect, given that todays younger gen have gotten spoiled by the proliferation of gadgets and tools that do most of the thinking

for them. In short, they would not know what to do. For example, when we studied our accounting courses, we had to use spreadsheets to solve problems that would take a whole evening just to finish, as we went through different aspects of the accounting, inventory, and other cycles to be able to submit or present the next day. There were no auto-correct features, just trusty old erasers as we would frantically try to figure out why our numbers would not balance, or why they balanced but were still wrong. We had to slog through logarithmic tables as we computed present values or some other required work. Back then, we did not have the wonderful tools like Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel to help do all the computing for us. Imagine my chagrin when helping my son to get his books and stuff in order ten years ago, only to find out that he did not need any spreadsheets or even a slide rule. Everything would be print-

ed straight from the desktop at home or the laptop brought to class, with good old Excel doing all the hard work. One time, just for curiosity, I rooted around (pun intended) for the formula for computing square roots

Q&A: Printing Properly in IE 9

Q.Ever since I upgraded to Internet Explorer 9, I have been having trouble printing Web pages, which come out looking different than whats on screen. Whats wrong?A. To speed up its handling of Web pages, Internet Explorer 9 shifts the workload from the computers main processor to the graphics processor. If your computers video card does not support this type of hardware acceleration, your Web pages may print incorrectly. Update your printers driver software to make sure outdated software is not the culprit. You can download the latest files for your printer model from the Support area of the manufacturers Web site. If you still have problems, open Internet Explorer 9, go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options; press the Alt key if you do not see the menus. On the Advanced tab, go to the Accelerated Graphics area and put a check in the box next to Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering. Click Apply, then OK and restart the browser and try printing again. (NYT)

which I had somehow forgotten over time and could not find said formula in any of my old books or even in my kids books. I guess if I had decided to use Google, I would have found it. Suffice it to say, that, when I asked friends for the formula, they simply told me to use the Square Root button in my calculator. They completely missed the point! The problem with todays generation, reared in relative ease of mobility and facility by an impressive array of tools, gizmos and gadgets, is that they would be hard pressed to do things the hard way like we did back then. I seriously doubt that many of them would know how to work out a spread sheet if needed, unless they were accounting students who would have to also work things out the old fashioned way.

If the students of today were to be thrown back into the period of the 60s and early 70s -- when electric typewriters were the norm, and snow-pake had just replaced the trusty old erasers for getting things corrected, and calculators could only do only the most basic functions there would be a terrible disconnect, given that todays younger gen have gotten spoiled by the proliferation of gadgets.

July 1, 2011 19

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

By ALLAN D. FRANCISCO

The Tablets in the Classroom:

ur countrys education system is one flawed beast, one that is not short on shortcomings and has a virtually unlimited list of limitations. And for years, we have seen it go from bad to worse. And yet, of all these problems that our school system faces, none is more disturbing (and more symbolic of the whole mess) than the images of our children burdened with huge schoolbags loaded with tons of books, notes, school projects, and other classroom-related items. That is why most parents (including this writer) are happy to hear of schools and local governments adopting or planning to implement programs that aim to provide

Idea whose time has come

school children with tablet computers in lieu of those heavy books. De La Salle Greenhills, one of the countrys premier schools, recently announced that instead of giving students the usual textbooks, the school will be providing pupils with a tablet computer each. Textbooks in ebook format will be downloaded to the students tablet computers or ebook readers. Meanwhile, education and government officials in the province of Laguna have been touting their plans to provide some school children with tablet computers. While it may take a little while longer to become reality, the provinces eRizal Tablet tablet-in-the-classroom wish is nevertheless a huge step in the right direction. Tablet computers in the classroom is an idea that can potentially save thousands of children from possible back injuries and perhaps lower back pains in their adult life. If we all played our cards right, our pupils will no longer have to carry those heavy bags that can put to shame those backpacks carried by soldiers on their way to battle. For the past several years, our Asian neighbors have been equipping their schools and students with tablet devices and ereaders. While it is unarguably obvious that our country is not as blessed with financial resources as these richer countries are, our fiscal difficulties should not keep us from giving our children all the help they need in performing academically at their best. For example, the Nanyang Girls High School in Singapore recently began a pilot project, under which some teachers and students were provided with iPads. Next year, the school plans to expand the project to cover all teachers and students. In Japan, the government has given more than 3,000 tablets to school children. South Korea, however, has been doing it the longest. For the past five years, the Korean government has been experimenting with digital textbooks. The country plans to equip all schools with tablet devices next year. Tablet computers are so popular in Asia; sometimes, too popular. In China, for example, a teenager reportedly sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPad 2. Combining the value that Asian families put on education and the tablets huge popularity in the region is a blockbuster, though no brainer, idea. I just hope it works too on these shores.

Taking care of school gadgets

Whether its a mobile phone, a tablet, or a laptop, your gadget arent really safe in school (or anywhere for that matter). Every year, there are hundreds of cases of stolen phones and laptops in schools. And now that tablets are becoming more popular, you can add those to the list of gadgets being stolen in schools as well. Although you might not mind as much losing those gadgets, what about that final paper required passing the class? How can you recover that? Here are a few tips of taking care of your gadgets in school. Dont Leave Your Gadgets Unattended This is arguably the Golden Rule of Gadget Care. You might think that your school as your second home and to some extent it is. But even your home isnt as safe as you might think. If you need to leave your gadgets to go in line to buy food or check a book at the other end of the library, make sure that you leave it with someone you trust or better yet, bring it with you. It might be a slight inconvenient but at least you know where your gadgets are. Accessorize Smart Its nice to accessorize your gadgets. These accessories show your personality through your gadgets. Although there are gadgets that not only show your personality, they also protect your gadgets. For example, your mobile phone can use

By JC Pulido III

some sort of casing to protect the screen and its body from dings and scratches. The same goes for tablets. Laptops can also use some screen protection and maybe even a keyboard guard. A good sized bag for your gadgets wouldnt hurt. A bag that is not too big where your gadgets start banging against each other might damage them and a too small bag might compress your gadgets to the point that the screen might crack. Mark Your Gadgets Just as accessorizing your gadgets can protect them from damage, putting a tag or a sticker with your name can go a long way towards keeping your gadgets safe from theft. A few stickers or

professionally done etchings or engravings can be used to identify your gadgets in case you have lost them or (knock on wood) stolen. Be Mindful of Where You Place Your Gadgets How many times have you seen mobile phones fall from the edge of a table or a bottle of soda tip and spill its sticky liquid on a laptop? Not a pretty sight is it? Always be aware where you place your gadgets and the items surrounding it. Just because a mobile phone or tablet says it has Gorilla Glass doesnt mean you can be happygo-lucky with your gadgets and not mind it falling from tables all the time. That glass is good but its not that good, at some point it will crack.

And just because the laptop is spill proof, it doesnt mean you can afford to be careless with your drinks beside your laptop. There are still liquidsensitive components inside them. Be Inconspicuous In cases where you are alone and you really need to answer the call of nature or even if you have someone you trust near your gadgets, dont let your gadgets hang out in the open. If you need to leave them for a while, you can close your laptop for a while and slip it in your bag or under your jacket or books so as to hide them and out of easy reach from possible thieves. These are simple rules to follow by. Unfortunately, these are so simple that most of the time they are easily forgotten.

20 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Globe power: Tattoo-ed in the comfort of your own home

n this day and age, being online is a big part of every Filipinos lifestyle. We go online to do research, to connect with friends, to play online games, to share our favourite pictures, videos and music. But most of the time we find ourselves enduring the long wait just to download a file, wait for a video to buffer, or to load photos in an online album. Tattoo@Home, the Globepowered internet brand, aims to change all that and make a speedy and consistent broadband connection available to more people. Tattoo@Home gives you a host of connection types to choose from, depending on what youre looking

for. Tattoo DSL and Tattoo WiMAX are already available to most households, while Tattoo Torque comes in selected areas for now, with a growing coverage list. Tattoo DSL is Globes most economical broadband option for its price, offering a variety of speeds up to 3Mbps (megabits per second), designed for households that want a fast affordable connection everyone in the house can share. With Tattoo DSL, you get a broadband modem with a built-in router that makes setting up your home WiFi network a snap. Once youre connected, you can surf the web from your desktop PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet, from virtually anywhere within your four walls. With Tattoo DSL,

WiFi makes sharing internet your new family bonding experience. Tattoos resident tech blogger Rico Mossesgeld of technogra.ph shares, Just minutes after finishing my Tattoo DSL installation, I was already surfing the web on my PC, while downloading apps on my phone an iPad. At the same time, my parents were checking their email on their respective laptops. Tattoo WiMAX presents a convenient solution for homes that cant yet be reached by wired DSL connections. Powered by the countrys first 4G broadband network, Tattoo WiMAX is available nationwide, making swift internet a reality even in areas without

phone lines. Because of its plug-and-play setup, you can literally be surfing the web within minute. As for Tattoo Torque, this is the coveted fiber-powered internet connection which gets you surfing at high-octane speeds. Online life will never

be the same with Torques 1Gbps capacity and its speeds of up to 100Mbps, which let you carry massive amounts of data into your home, like your top movies, music, games and whatever your heart desires.

Your Tech and Study Habits

The world is changing fast. Technology continues to advance at lightning speed and anyone who doesnt keep up is in danger of being left behind. As a result, the way students study has changed significantly. While books still remain a valuable tool, the need to spend hours and hours sitting in the library has reduced dramatically. Students now have numerous options available to them when it comes to learning techniques. Databases and eJournals Since the introduction of eJournals and online databases, the amount of information a student can realistically find has increased dramatically. While it used to mean taking out books and scouring them for relevant information, students can now search for specific words and phrases within journals and academic writing. This can dramatically speed up the research process. Theres also the possibility of finding excellent information buried within a text the student wouldnt have thought to look at. Wikipedia Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, may be frowned upon in most academic circles because its content can be modified by anyone, but theres no doubt its introduction has been a game changer. A 2008 study of students who use social

By CHARMAINE JOHN

process, where information can easily be missed. Gadgets Students now usually take down notes using their laptops. Notes from the lectures are organized into different folders to make it easier for students to browse their notes while studying. Students can also record audio study notes from their lecturers using their phones, or mp3 players. A digital recorder makes it easier to replay and remember a lot of information for a final exam or test. Technology is improving day by day. By getting some help from the technology, we can get lots of benefits of our world, especially in the aspect of studying and learning information.

networks found that while 73 percent of students are told by their professor not to use the site, 90 percent admit to having done so in order to complete a paper. Despite fierce criticism of the site for its inaccuracy, many students see it as an excellent starting point for research and a way of familiarizing themselves with a topic. Its also common for students to use the references at the bottom in order to find additional related sites. Social Media If used correctly, social media can productively enhance learning. Some colleges have their own Facebook pages and discussion boards, allowing students and professors to share links and ideas

in a straightforward, instant fashion. Regular blogging is also useful, especially if most of the class is participating, as it allows students to read and comment on each others ideas outside of study hours. Presentation Software Presentation software is a staple of college campuses which professors can use to simplify the study process for students. Computer-based slide shows can be used to add variety to a lecture and make it more interactive. More importantly, teachers regularly email the slides to students or upload them to the Internet. This allows students to recap whats been said in a lecture without having to rely to heavily on the note-taking

July 1, 2011 21

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Seven Android apps for school

By JC PULIDO III

oday, kids have it easy with their internetconnected computers and smartphones and tablets that are essentially small computers. A simple internet search yields hundreds of thousands of reference materials that will aid in understanding their lessons. Here are 10 Android apps you can use with your Android smartphone or tablet that can help you through your educational journey.

nize your notes to their servers which is then accessible to virtually any device from PCs such as Windows and Macs to other mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

Kindle for Android With any Android device, you wont need the real Amazon Kindle e-book reader to read books from the Amazon Kindle Store. Amazon has provided the Kindle app for virtually all platforms be it Windows, Mac, iOS, and yes, even Android. From literary books to technical books to school texts books, almost every book you can think of is available at your finger tips. Audible for Android An alternative to actual reading, Audible reads the books for you. This lets you do other stuff such as clean your dorm room while you get your reading done. Audible has over 85,000 books in its library so there is a high probability that the book you need for your book report or research is available. Unfortunately, youll

still have to write your book reports on your own.

to the epub format and then import them to Aldiko. And if you like reading before you sleep, there is a setting for night and day reading which does help in lessening the eye fatigue before bed. Firefox The Android browser is already an excellent browser but Firefox takes it a step further. Firefox allows you to synchronize your bookmarks and tabs from your desktop via Firefox Sync. This allows you do research on your desktop and load your tabs to your Android smartphone or tablet to either the library for further research or to class as a presentation aid.

RealCalc Scientific Calculator At some point, you will need a scientific calculator in school. You can buy one from National Book Store or with your android device, download RealCalc Scientific Calculator for free and the money you would have spent for something useful like strong coffee. RealCalc looks and acts like a real scientific calculator. It will do unit conversions and display results history. It also has binary, octal, and hexadecimal functions, trigonometry functions in degrees, radian, grads, physical constants table. Goggles There are times when you need to go to the library to do some research. You go to the card index or the library computer to jot down all the book you think youll need. Once you have them and browse through all of them you decide to pick the ones that are truly relevant. You can use Google Goggles to scan the barcode of the books you want to take note of so when you return, you know exactly the books you need. In Art Appreciation class, you can take a photo of a piece of painting Google Goggles can give you additional information about that piece.

Aldiko Book Reader Aldiko is a free e-book reader for Android. Unlike the Kindle app for Android, you can load whitepapers and PDFs from virtually any source. All you need to do is convert them

Evernote Arguably the best notetaking app for any mobile/tablet OS, not only will it take and organize your notes, you can attach photos to your notes to help you with your classes as well as record lectures so that you can go back to them to better understand the lesson. And when Evernote finds an internet connection, it will synchro-

22 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Have you heard? Online storage deletes need for (original) notebooks
By ALLAN D. FRANCISCO

start thanking the Internet once more. Storage Sites Mushroom There are various ways to store data online. For several years now, consumers have been using Web-based email services as their virtual online data servers. When people want to store documents and reasonably sized photos and other files, they email such documents to themselves. I prefer Gmail. I especially appreciate its huge storage capacity. So, whenever I want to be sure that I can always access a document whenever and wherever I want to, I send it to my Webmail addresses. Lately, however, the market for online storage services is growing noticeably. Although it remains basically a niche market, online storage is fast gaining users and investor attention. And the list of ven-

n every students life, there comes a time when he or she (although, something tells me the males are more prone to this) feels he or she does not want to bring all those books and notebooks to school and back. After all, life is simpler and a lot less tiring when you are carrying nothing but a lone notebook, folded to fit your pants back pocket. Cutting classes and going to the mall or Internet caf is unimaginably difficult when you have to lug around all those heavy books and classroom-related materials with you. However, relying on a single notebook alone could prove detrimental to your dream of graduating with honors. It might not be able to host all the lessons your teachers would like to impart or inculcate into your brain. So, what can a goingthrough-a-lazy-phase student like you opt to do? Well, worry no more. And

dors, which is getting longer, includes Dropbox, YouSendIt.com, Cx.com, Box.net, SpiderOak, and SpiderOak, with several more expected to join them. As their number continues to increase, and competition gets more intense, service providers are exerting efforts

and launching strategies to differentiate themselves and their services from their competitors. Some vendors emphasize ease of use, while others highlight the security of their service. To some extent, these vendors must be finding success. Dropbox claims it stores

some 100 billion files on its servers, while Box.net claims 6 million customers are using its services. Online storage sites allow users to create common versions of documents from both their office and home computers. Students will especially appreciate features that let them work collaboratively on school projects. This online platform for storing data is revising the meaning of group thesis, for example. As declining costs of technology, servers, and other related equipment make it cheaper for startups to offer online storage services, options will keep on increasing for businesses and consumers. The same holds true for students. These days, students will have much fewer reasons for bringing with them those heavy textbooks and notebooks. After all, who need those bulky classroom devices when you can store and access your notes online? Time to ditch that last remaining notebook.

Q&A: Poisoned Pictures on Web

Q.Is it true you can get a virus from Google Images? A.Security researchers have found thousands of photos from searches within the Google Images site that have been infected with malicious code. In many cases, clicking on one of these poisoned images triggers a script that makes it seem like the computer has become infected with viruses. Another Web site pops up trying to wheedle your credit-card number in exchange for fake antivirus software. The Krebs on Security blog fully explains how the poisoned-image scam works, along with a comment from a Google spokesman about the companys efforts to detect the malware. If your Web browser is hijacked by one of these scripts, force-quit the program by pressing the Control-Shift-Esc keys to call up the Windows Task Manager. On the Applications tab, select the name of your

browser program and click the End Task button. For overall protection, make sure your computer is running a regularly updated antivirus program from a legitimate security company. PCMag. com has reviews of recent security suites. Script-blocking add-ons like NoScript for Mozilla Firefox can also stop unwanted scripts from hijacking your Web browser. Mac users are not im-

mune. To force-quit the browser on a Mac, press the Option-Command-Esc keys, click on the browser program in the box and click the Force Quit button. The Sophos Security site has information for Mac users. Apple recently released a security update for Mac OS X designed to squash the fake MacDefender antivirus malware. (NYT)

July 1, 2011 23

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Technology in the eyes of college students, and living it

By GLENN RICHMOND ONG

aking up to a brand new day, rushing to finish breakfast, picking up your bag and lunch box, ringing bells here and there, and the singing of the Philippine National Anthem where are we at? Hello, dear University, we meet again! Now that its back to school season, we wanted to know how technology plays in the lives of college students and how they keep themselves abreast with technological advancements. In a short survey we gave out to them, we asked the following major questions: (1)

what is their best buddy in terms of gadget; (2) which electronic device they want to have that will greatly help them in school; and, (3) what technology-related problems are there in their university that they to be fixed. Our respondents had an age range of 16 to 24 and were dominated by males coming from different universities. While some consider themselves non-techie people, 90% said that blogs and the Internet as a whole is their gateway to know whats in and whats out in technology. This simply means that blogs have been effective mediums in capturing the minds of students and in teaching them new developments not taught in school.

In the battle of being the most important gadget they have for schooling, 60% responded laptop while 40% said its their smart phone. True enough, nothing beats having a laptop around since it can do so many things in just one device. However, with the rise of smart phones allowing users to do more complex tasks within the phone, it has been considered as a great tool for students as well. Its not a surprise though that most of the students nowadays think that a tablet would greatly help them with school work. Its something that most of them wish to have. Why? They want something lighter and more compact than a laptop. Apart

from that, tablets are great to carry around and easy to open, rather than the need to flip and turn on a laptop. If we working professionals are complaining about slow internet connections at home or office, can we blame these kids who want a better and faster connection in their universities? Some campuses dont even have WiFi, a few noted. Can you imagine how they thirst for information and communication coming from online? University administrators need to understand that students play more and explore more, and these are part of their journey to adulthood. You see, Internet is everything we need to know. Why

cant campuses dedicate a big amount to improve on their internet infrastructure in schools? Is this because they are playing on the mentality that our internet connections arent good elsewhere, so why improve on a micro level? In the eyes of students, they see technology as a great mechanism to improve education. It is a magical multiplier of a teacher, where students learning doesnt stop at the end of a school day. Rather, they can go online to access tutorials and resources to assist them in education. Technology can give new opportunities for learning, collaborating, and creating it is indeed a very powerful tool for education.

Affordability without compromise: Three Nokia phones in single or dual-SIM

Nokia has added to its device portfolio with the launch of three new affordable phones the Nokia C2-02, Nokia C2-03 and Nokia C2-06. Mary McDowell, the head of Nokias Mobile Phones business unit, said: These phones all offer a web, maps and messaging experience second to none in the market. And with the choice of a touch screen or a keypad, we really have made everything available and easy to use in an affordable phone that comes in both Dual or single SIM options. Maps and more The Nokia C2-03, the third Dual SIM phone Nokia has brought to market in the past month, comes with Nokias unique Dual SIM capabilities. These include features that allow the user to personalize up to five SIM cards with a dedicated look and feel, and an Easy Swap option that lets users change SIM cards in seconds without having to turn off the phone or remove the battery. The Nokia C2-02 is a single SIM version with a similar feature set, as well as push messaging options and a broad range of IM providers included, and the Nokia C206 comes in a range of fresh

colors with a clean, smooth finish. The phones all ship with new Nokia Maps for Series 40, where local maps and places of interest are pre-installed on the phone. This means users can view maps and plan routes when the phone is in offline mode, thus saving on the costs of downloading maps over the mobile network. Internet for all All three phones also deliver a great internet browsing experience through the data compression technology of the Nokia Browser, which keeps the costs of surfing low and speeds up page downloads benefiting both consumers and operators. The browser loads with a localized start page, giving the user instant access to the most relevant content, and is tabbed to give

easy access to favorite or previously viewed information. We want the web to be easy to access, fast and affordable for all, continued McDowell. The technology behind the Nokia Browser means that consumers, especially those new to the mobile internet, can get the information they need quickly, as the Nokia Browser serves up relevant local content making the whole experience more personal and enjoyable. The three phones also pack a stereo FM radio, media player and memory support that can be expanded to a whopping 32 GB, letting users store thousands of photos, videos and music files.

24 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Pixel Trickery for brighter screen

luminescence is wasted. Normally, to increase the resolution, the number of pixels needs to increase, as does the number of transistors used to control those pixels. The problem is that the transistors block part of the pixel. Some smaller displays are built with a new process that lets transistors shrink and still supply the amount of current needed to drive a display, but its difficult to scale this up to larger displays like those in tablets and TVs. Normally, as the resolution goes up, says Pollack, the amount of area that light comes through shrinks. Nouvoyances pixel design, called PenTile, lets more light through in a couple of ways. First, the red, blue, and green subpixels are larger than those in traditional displays. Second, one out of every four subpixels is clear. This means the backlight can use less power and shine brighter. Almost no light is absorbed [by the clear pixels], which gives you tremendous advantages for any content that has some component of white, says Pollack. And if you start looking at things, almost everything has white to it. Fewer subpixels would usually mean a lower resolution. But the PenTile display uses individual sub-pixels to trick the eye into perceiving the same resolution while using about one-third as many subpixels as an RGB stripe panel. There are already 75 different products on the market using PenTile displays, mostly active-maxtrix organic lightemitting diode (Amoled) displays for phones and cameras. Current manufacturing technology for depositing the organic materials limits the actual pixel density, explains Paul Semenza, senior analyst at research firm Display Search. So by using PenTile, some of the Amoled displays for smart phones have been able to achieve a higher effective resolution. The PenTile display also uses image processing algorithms to determine the brightness of a scene. (NYT)

he iPads bright and beautiful screen comes with a cost: a battery that makes up most of the tablets weight. A new display technology designed for tablets uses a quarter of the power consumed by most screens while improving the range of colors and the resolution. The technology, developed by Samsung and its affiliate, Nouvoyance, uses a novel pixel design that lets more of the backlight shine through. It combines this with algorithmic

tricks that dynamically dim the backlight based on the image on the screen. People want at least 10 hours of battery life on their tablet, as well as screens that have more color and higher resolution, says Joel Pollack, executive vice president of Nouvoyance. A standard LCD display uses a pixel architecture called RBG stripe, in which each pixel is made of red, blue, and green subpixels that filter color from a white backlight. The process is extremely inefficientmore than 90 percent of the backlight

Normally, to increase the resolution, the number of pixels needs to increase, as does the number of transistors used to control those pixels. But the transistors block part of the pixel. Some smaller displays are built with a new process that lets transistors shrink and still supply the amount of current needed.

Thousands get prizes in Grabagold

The Globe-powered Grabagold is filled to the brim with casual games like Gemz, Beach Party Craze and Aliens in the Garden. Alexa.com ranks Grabagold as the number one gaming site in the Philippines as of June 7, 2011, and its no surprise, considering that to date, nearly 240,000 winners have taken home goodies like Globe prepaid load and gadgets like the coveted iPad2 and the Microsoft Kinect, with more topnotch prizes to be had such as Samsung Home Theatre Systems, LED TVs and a brand-new Mini-Cooper AT. Usually you play casual games when youre bored, have some time to kill, or are looking for some stress relief in the middle of a strenuous workday. Who knew that all your hours of playing could actually win you something worthwhile? Yes, its true, you can win loads of load and more, and the raves all over the Twitterverse prove that users are giving in to their gaming urges for a chance to win at Grabagold. All that playing is paying off. There have been hordes of lucky winners, like Normalyn Alcantara of Cainta, Rizal and Mark Jayvee Pabilonia of Pangasinan, each of whom won their very own iPad2. Jennifer O. Martinez of Cavite won a Nokia C3, Edgar Jerome Vialu of Quezon City took home a MacBook Air, while Daisy Hubac of Antipolo got every gamers dream console, the Kinect for Xbox360. Join the fun by signing up at www.grabagold.com and picking the games you want to play. Its just P15 for every 5 days of playing if youre on Globe Prepaid, or P 79 for 30 days on your Globe postpaid plan. Tattoo broadband fans will love the experience, and even TM users can get in on the fun for only P 5 for 5 days with 5 games. Every time you level up in a game, you earn gold that could net you big prizes. The more games you win, the more gold you get, the more chances you have to spin the Prize Wheel and win instant prizes like load, gadgets like the iPad2, an iPod Touch, a Nokia C3, a Kinect, and if you play hard enough, maybe even that new Mini-Cooper AT. And even if youre not much of a gamer, be sure to tell all your friends about Grabagold because every referral to the gaming site can earn you P10.00 in GCASH plus 100 in gaming gold.

July 1, 2011 25

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

The latest from Apple: iSpaceship

ts well known that Steven P. Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, has had a hand in the design of just about everything Apple makes, including the Macs, MacBooks, iMacs, iPods, iTunes, iPhones, iPads and, now, the iCloud. So we can only imagine that Mr. Jobs had a say about the look and feel of what tech bloggers are already calling the iSpaceship: a proposed ring-shaped building that would house as many as 13,000 Apple employees not far from the companys current headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Its a little like a spaceship landed, Mr. Jobs said as he unveiled the proposed design during a surprise appearance at a Cupertino City Council meeting on Tuesday evening. While the presentation lacked the theatrics of typical Apple keynote addresses and events, Mr. Jobss flair for marketing -- and his embrace of hyperbole -- were in display. Mr. Jobs said the iSpace-

ship would have a smaller footprint but house more people than existing buildings accommodate on the 150-acre site. He vowed to rip up surface parking lots and replace them with landscaping, nearly doubling the number of trees on the site to 6,000. He said the site would have an energy center where Apple would generate its own electricity and use the grid as backup. The building will also have an auditorium where Apple could host events, a cafeteria where 3,000 people could eat at the same time, special research and development facilities, and a fitness center. And it will have huge panels of curved glass all around There is not a straight piece of glass in this building, Mr. Jobs said. By the time, the building is done, architecture students would come to Cupertino just to see the building, Mr. Jobs predicted. I think we do have a shot at building the best office building in the world. While the project is a long way from being approved --

Apple has yet to submit formal plans -- it looked as if selling the project to the council would be about as hard as convincing a lifelong Apple fan to buy a new iPad. One council member said describing the project as spectacular would be an understatement. Mr. Jobs, a Cupertino native, seemed to know that with Apple as the citys largest taxpayer and employer, he isnt likely to face much re-

sistance. When another council member asked whether Apple would provide free WiFi in Cupertino (as Google has done in its hometown of Mountain View, nearby), Mr. Jobs appeared in no mood to bargain. Ive always had this view that we should pay taxes and the city should do those things, he said. If we can get out of paying taxes, Ill be glad to put up WiFi. Mr. Jobs said Apple now

has about 12,000 people in Cupertino --about 2,800 in its main campus, with the rest scattered in adjacent buildings. He said Apple planned to keep its current campus, implying that the adjacent buildings would be vacated. And he said he hoped Apple could begin moving into the new building in 2015. Combined, the two campuses would have capacity for nearly 16,000 people. (NYT)

Photo-editing tips for the beginners

Digital photography has become a widely spread hobby amongst the youth and adults alike. I, for one, had already taken up the hobby. And for pictures to look better, photo-editing has to become common knowledge for photographers. For beginners, these tips might actually help you start off on the right foot in editing your photos: 1. Choose the best photo-editing software It is a fact that amateur, as well as professional photographers, and photography aficionados are continuously in search for the best photo editing tool available. Now, since there are hundreds of photo editors available in the market, this can confuse beginners as to what they will choose for them to make that award-winning output. What you can do is you can search the internet for photo editing program reviews, and if you have found a highly recommended program, you can try it if it works for you. You have to be at ease in using the program because even if the program is highly recommended yet, you dont know how to use it, you wont be able to create stunning photos like the one you have in mind. 2. Never edit the original Whatever you do, leave a copy of your original photo untouched. If you do this, then you can always try and apply different improve-

ments, brightness settings or photo editing steps. Perhaps you can even edit the photo in different ways for different uses. 3. Adjust all murky and boring pictures During photo editing, go to the color menu and raise the color intensity, which will make listless, bland photos appear more lively. You can also fix pictures that are too bright or too dark and adjust focus in blurry photos. 4. Cut out boring elements It is often the case that interesting objects in photos

are surrounded by other boring ones. For example, an empty parking lot or a gray sky can shift the focus away from the center. The uninteresting part may be cut out and removed using photo editing functions. 5. Dont over-edit If you change the photo too much or go overboard with optimizations, it will look very unnatural. Additionally, important details will be lost. If it isnt the specific goal of photo editing, you should avoid this at all costs. (John Allyza Marie)

26 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

25 Tech Tips and Tricks

heres no core curriculum for technology. Nobody teaches you the basics. You just pick stuff up as you go along. As a result, everybody, even experts, winds up with knowledge holes-things everybody thinks everybody else knows about the basics of consumer electronics. When I started writing down the ones I figured everybody should know, my column was twice as long as its supposed to be. But hey-on the Web, nobody can hear you exceed your word count. I lopped out half of them and saved them for this e-newsletter. Think of it as Todays Pogue Column (Contd). Screenshots*Especially if youre a beginner (or an expert), its frequently useful to capture the image of whats on the screen - an error message or diagram, for example. *In Windows, PrintScreen key copies the whole screen image, as a graphic, onto your invisible Clipboard, so you can paste into an e-mail message or any other program (This is what Im seeing! What do I do now?!). If you add the Alt key, you copy only the front window. *On the Mac, press Command-Shift-3. (Command is the key with the propeller on it, next to the Space bar.) You hear a snapshot sound, and you get a graphics file on your desktop-a picture of the entire screen image. *If you press CommandShift-4 instead, you get a crosshair cursor; you can draw across just one portion of the screen. Or, if you now tap the Space bar, you turn the cursor into a little camera

icon. You can now click on just one window or toolbar that you want to copy. *In both cases, you can hold down the Control key to copy the image to the Clipboard instead of leaving a file on the hard drive. E-mail* If you get a message from your bank or eBay about a problem with your account, its probably a phishing scam. Its a fake, designed to lure you into typing your name and password so the bad guys can have it. Delete it. If youre concerned, visit the institutions Web site in your browser by typing in its address (like Citibank.com) - not by clicking the link in e-mail. * Before you pass on any amazing item you get by email-Obamas a Muslim, the bubble boy wants greeting cards, the Nieman-Marcus $400 cookie recipe - first check it out at Snopes.com, the world clearinghouse for Internet scams and rumors. * If a blue underlined link shows up in an e-mail message, you can mouse over it without clicking to see what Web site it plans to open. * If you get a message from someone you know that relates a horror story about being mugged in England (and needing you to wire money immediately), delete it. Its a popular scam - even if its the correct e-mail address of someone you know. * File too big to send by email? Then use yousendit.com or transferbigfiles.com. You can transmit huge files, using

the site as a free intermediary parking space. Editing Text* On your keyboard, theres a difference between the Backspace and Del keys. Press Backspace to delete the typed character to the left of the blinking insertionpoint cursor, as usual. Pressing Del, however, removes the character to its right. * In Microsoft Word, when you paste in text from another document-say, a Web site you may not want all the boldface, colors, fonts and other formatting from the original source. Instead of using the regular Paste command, in

that case, open the Edit menu and click Paste Special. Click Unformatted Text. Youll get just the text, without the fanciness. iPhone* You can magnify the iPhones screen, for ease in reading tiny type, by double-tapping with three fingers. Then pan around by dragging with three fingers. Of course, you first have to turn this feature on. Do that by tapping Settings, then General, then Accessibility. (On the same screen, youll find an option to make the text bigger in the built-in iPhone programs, which is handy in its

In Windows, PrintScreen key copies the whole screen image, as a graphic, onto your invisible Clipboard, so you can paste into an e-mail message or any other program (This is what Im seeing! What do I do now?!). If you add the Alt key, you copy only the front window.

own way.) * Has your iPhone screen image suddenly become mysteriously enlarged? Theres nothing quite as alarming as seeing jumbo text and graphics, and nothing restores the phone to the way its supposed to be. I cant tell you how many people trek off to the Apple Store to get their broken iPhones fixed. Of course, the real problem is that youve accidentally turned on screen zooming (described in the previous tip). Double-tap with three fingers to restore the screen magnification. Other Cellphones* When your phone starts ringing, you can silence it quickly by pressing any key on the sides. (Its still ringing - you can either answer it or let it go to voicemail - but at least youve cut the sound.) Thats good to remember when youre someplace where phone silence is golden: for example, at a concert, in surgery or in church. Web*Dont reach for the mouse to go back to the previous Web page. Just tap the Backspace key. (Alt+left-arrow key also works for Back, and Alt+right-arrow for Forward. In this article, if you have a Mac, substitute the Option key for Alt.) * After you type a word or phrase into a Search box, dont click the Search button. Just press the Enter key. (The Enter key also works to click Go after youve typed an address, or the highlighted button, like O.K. or Print, in most dialog boxes. Yes, there are people who dont realize that.) * On brand-name Web sites (eBay, Facebook, Amazon and so on), click the upper-left logo to return to the sites home page. (David Pogue, NYT)

July 1, 2011 27

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

The idea of plagiarism

magine this scenario: Before a student leaves class, his teacher delivers him a finale by assigning him to research and explain about a certain topic. With confidence, he goes home and opens the computer to search for his homework. But once he finds it, he doesnt even bother to read the article and instead, just copies and pastes it in a document. Voila! Homework done! With the scenario above, teachers everywhere are having problems with how students regard plagiarism. So what is plagiarism? As Merriam-Webster would define it as:

By JOSE GAMALIEL FELONGCO

to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. Plagiarism is an act of deception. Student or not, if one steals someones work, then claims it as an original work, then its plagiarism. Homeworks, researches and projects are prone to copying and using other peoples works. Wrong citing of references and other materials could also be considered as one. So whats the big deal? With the arrival of theinternet, researches and academic papers are within reach of anybody seating in front of a connected computer. Nowadays, students in the Philippines are commonly doing their researches by directly copying and pasting them from the internet, unknowingly or deliberately plagiarizing. Another problem is that the students themselves, most of the time, do not read the article they copied. One

to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as ones own to use (anothers production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft

can tell if a student just copied his work if he/she cannot explain it orally or knows nothing about the topic assigned. So here are some tips to avoid being accused of plagiarism: - Paraphrase redoing or rewriting the statement and explaining the same idea, with your own words. Statements from the internet can

be redone to prevent plagiarism. - Quotations no change is done to the part of the original document. The author should also be cited. - Summarization getting only the main points of the source and reiterating them into your own words. The main idea presented should

also be the same. Summaries present the main point in a shorter version. So the next time you surf the net for research or for assignments, be sure to do this things so as to prevent plagiarism. Not only could it save you from legal repercussions, but also give you the benefit of reading and knowing your topic.

Gamers Guide to controlled gaming

Summer is over and classes are on. The long stretches of days devoted to gaming can unease the mind and body as one gets ready for schoolwork. Now is the time to rest your calloused thumbs and get ready to hit the books once more. Mind you, this is not a guide to overcoming addiction but sort of a list of tips in overcoming the urge to play games.Here are some pointers to help you get out of uncontrolled gaming: 1. Schedule your time for play. Limiting the time spent in playing gamesallows you to devote time for schoolwork. Treat gaming as a pastime and not a priority. If you are having trouble in keeping your schedule, parents would be more than willing to help you outon this. 2. Do schoolworks and projects first. We each have our own responsibilities to take care of, as a student, our main objective is to study. True gaming may be more fun, more enjoyable, and more thrilling than studying,but still, studying and getting a grade that we could be proud of is more gratifying than finishing games.Games can be saved and checkpoints can wait, you cannot do the same however, for homeworks and projects. 3. Go outside if given the chance (and the permission). Spending time out of the house or away from the computer monitor (for a noble reason of course), is more preferable than staying indoors and playing. 4. Get busy with school

wellbeing.
By JG FELONGCO

activities and organizations. Activities, clubs, and organizations help you in develop skills and expand your network of people. Unlike the virtual, make believe biosphere of games, the real world is more fun. 5. Get into sports. Having a brawny fit character is a musthave for any RPG game, the same goes in real life. Getting yourself involved into sports is a good way to spend less time in playing games. Plus, there is no denying it contributes substantially to ones overall

6. Decide to stay away from portable gaming gadgets. If you are in school, decide not to bring any portable gaming gadget as it could draw you out of focus. Its not bad to play, but it takes your attention away from something that you should be doing. Getting knit and ready for school is a hard task after playing games for a long time. It could be a very difficult at first but once you get used to it, youll reap the rewards of protracted gratification.

28 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

Maximize Your iPod for School

By GLENN RICHMOND ONG

unny days are over and rainy season is here. What does that symbolize for all students out there? Its back to school once again. Have you gotten your new notebooks, bags, pens, and gadgets to show off to your classmates? Perhaps some of them have gotten an iPad, while you only have your good old laptop and an iPod. So what? Things need not be new, as long as you find some use to it. In fact, your iPod is not just a music or video player; theres more to it than that. Read up and share to your friends as we list down some great ways you can use your iPod for school. These features are just actually sitting on your gadget, but may not have been given importance due to the focus on just music and videos.

quire lots of documents. If you own an iPod Classic that has 120GB to 160GB storage space, it can be a handy alternative to an external hard drive for backing up files. All you have to do is connect it to the computer and select Manually manage music and videos or Enable disk use in the Devices tab of your iTunes. Portable Slideshow Viewer Showing photos of a recent trip to your friends? Lugging a photo album or even having pictures printed is such a hassle. The Classic or Touch can store up to 25,000 digital photos, making sharing very light, portable and more techie. To add to that, you can also export PowerPoint presentations as an image and enable yourself to browse through slides when you want to study or review while on the go. Calendar Organizer Group works and org meetings take a huge chunk of a student day-to-day routine. Be sure to watch out for schedule conflicts by keeping an organized calendar.

Lecture Recorder In a one hour class, theres definitely a lot of lectures done by your professor. If youre not quick enough to write down key points or having a hard time remembering small details that might come out in exams, use your little gadget to record lectures. iPod Touch has a built-in recorder that can instantly capture sounds and later on be used for sending to classmates. Meanwhile, using an iPod Classic or Nano takes a bit more effort. You would need to purchase an attachment (e.g. Belkins Tunetalk Stereo) to transform it into a voice-recording device. Looking back at the olden days, we used to be contented with a few books, some pens and pencils, and a single binder. Today, technology has taken its many forms and changed the way we look and handle things. Maximizing the use of your iPod does not only give you value for money, but also helps you save on several devices that work similarly as with your lightweight and portable Apple best friend.

While iPod Classic and Nano have limited calendar functionalities that you have to sync, iPod Touch has a wide array of options to view, add and remove meetings. Notes and Numbers Master When youre stuck in a math class and realized youve left your calculator at home, the iPod Touch comes to the rescue. Holding it vertically, youd get a classic pocket calculator

that handles basic operations. Turn it to its side and youd instantly have a scientific calculator for more complex computations. Another useful function is its notepad feature, where you can jot down basic notes and information in cases where you dont have a pen and paper. You can create unlimited number of notes, so youd never have to worry about having to delete old ones.

External HDD Alternative Student life will surely squeeze out brain cells and re-

Q&A: Choose a quick backup option for an Android phone

Q. How do you back up everything on an Android phone? There doesnt seem to be any desktop software like there is for the BlackBerry. A.Phones running the Android operating system are made by several hardware manufacturers and are distributed by a multiple wireless carriers - which can lead to some variation on the system. Some carriers include backup software, but some may not, so check your models manual to see what is installed. If there isnt a dedicated program for backing up the phones contents to the computer (like the BlackBerry Desktop Manager program or even iTunes for Apples iPhones), you do have options. In the Android Settings area under Privacy, make sure the options for backing up and automatically restoring your settings are turned on. You can also back up all the information associated with your Google or Gmail account - like e-mail, contacts, calendars and apps - by checking off the options in the Accounts area under Settings. While these settings back up your basic information and apps to Googles servers, things like photos and text messages are not backed up. You can manually back up copies of your phones photos to the computer by connecting the two with a USB cable, putting the phone in Disk Mode and dragging the contents of the DCIM folder to a backup folder on the computer. If you prefer to have software do the work for you, check the Android Market for apps that back up all or certain content on the phone; there are apps that just back up SMS messages or photos. Some apps may park your

phones data on a server somewhere, but many give you the option to store the backup files on the phones Secure Digital card. The MyBackup Pro app, which sells for $5 and is highly rated by its users, works with all Android devices and backs up pretty much everything on the phone to its online servers or an SD card. Sprite Mobile Backup for Android costs $5 and can back up the phones contents to a Box.net or Dropbox online-storage. (NYT)

July 1, 2011 29

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN
anon has five compact digital cameras: three desirable cameras in its iconic IXUS series IXUS310 HS, IXUS220 HS and IXUS115 HS. With generous technological enhancements to take photographic enjoyment and creativity to the next level, all new cameras from the IXUS range has cutting-edge Canon imaging technologies with the following benefits:

1. Capture the story behind every picture-perfect moment The new Movie Digest mode offers a one-click still and movie capture for those critical moments or events where one is posed with the dilemma of deciding between a still or movie capture. Movie digest offers both still image and a four-second movie prerecord before the still capture, so users can record the full story behind every picture perfect moment as it unfolds. Whats more, Movie Digest automatically compiles the days events into one folder so users can easily share the days highlights on YouTube and Facebook. 2. Dont be afraid of the dark Equipped with Canons ground-breaking HS SYSTEM, this new range of compact digital cameras allow users to take sharper, better and more stunning photographs, even in challenging low lighting conditions. The HS SYSTEM combines Canons superior DIGIC imaging processor with a high-sensitivity sensor to produce razor-sharp photos. The result is vivid colour rendition at low noise levels even without aid of a flash or tripod to maintain the ambience and mood of the occasion. 3. Get creative

Canon Flashes Movie Digest Mode

Enjoy freedom of expression with Creative Filters Mode simply by turning the mode dial of the PowerShot, or by accessing the scene mode on the IXUS cameras. There are six creative filters (up from last years four options) including the new Toy Camera effect for a vintage effect of first-generation cameras. There are three settings to choose from warm, standard or cool. The Monochrome effect allows users to shoot black and white, sepia or blue to dramatically enhance the desired mood. 4. Automated Convenience The Smart Auto mode now detects up to 32 different scenes (up from last years 28 scenes). The camera intelligently adjusts exposure and focal settings according to a myriad of shooting scenarios and corresponding lighting conditions for brilliant photos every time. The new Advanced Subject Detection allows users to track and auto-focus (AF) on non-human moving subjects like trains or pets as they move to maintain sharp focus and exposure. 5. FULL HD Brilliance The new range of IXUS and PowerShot SX cameras are also capable of recording full high-definition (HD) movies at 1920x1080 resolution in Stereo Sound. HD movies are also available in miniature and super slow motion modes. IXUS 310 HS The embodiment of Canons superior high-performance technology, the IXUS310 HS successor to the popular IXUS 300 HS is a luxurious and sleek camera that features dynamic edges and clean lines in silver, pink or brown. But the IXUS310 HS is not just about aesthetics, its also about high performance with an ultra wide-angle 24mm, 4.4x optical zoom lens and a fast f/2.0 wide aperture for faster shutter speeds to achieve bokeh or background blurring effects to make the subject stand out. Movie Digest mode is a new and amazing one-click action that records both still and four-second movie footage prior to the still image capture.

30 July 1, 2011

The Digital Generation

MANILA BULLETIN

amsung Smart TVs swept Best TV lists of consumer groups across Europe. Samsung Full HD 3D Smart TV has been chosen as the No.1 product for its product superiority by one after another consumer groups across Europe, well known for their objective reviews and public confidence. Which?the largest and most trusted consumer group in the UK, printing more than 550,000 copies of Which? Magazine posted the review results of 2011 TV models conducted between April and May. Among 8 TV models that the group tested, Samsung 55inch D8000 and 46-inch D7000 received 76 and 75 scores respectivelyan overwhelming No.1 and No.2, beating competitors that marked only 60s scores.The magazine highly praised Samsung TV for faultless picture quality, stunning 3D, super lightweight 3D glasses, brilliantly versatile smart TV options, exceptionally low use of power and a cinch to use, and added the

European consumer groups chose Samsung Smart TV as No.1 TV

D8000 looks fantastic. Which? also went on to say that the D8000 has never let it down, highlighting remarkable depth, silky-smooth motion and vibrant color on both Blu-ray and Freeview HD picture simply blew our expert viewing panel away. In addition, it noted that 3D TV married sharpness, crisp detail and a stunning 3D effect and 3D glasses were lightweight and comfortable the most significant improvement of all. It also said Smart TV is impressive, and a cinch to navigate, apps are responsive and it is easy to download more from its app store. A French consumer union, UFC (Union Federale des Consommateurs), highly commended Samsung TVs top-class quality as well in its known as the most discerning consumers. Consumentenbond, a Netherlands-based consumer organization, posted its TV test results online. 14 models released in 2011 were tested, and Samsungs 40-inch and 46-inch 3D LED Smart TV D8000 models kept 7.7 and 7.5 points respectively, ranked first and second. Consumentenbond highly praised their Smart TV and 3D features, wide viewing angles, built-in HD tuner, ease of use, and functionality. The consumer organization publishes about half million copies of a consumer guide magazine monthly, named Consumentengids. It has a significant meaning that Samsung TVs superiority is recognized by consumer groups in Europe where consumer interests are always put first, said Ilkyung Simon Sung, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

official consumer guide magazine, Que Choisir. The French magazine conducted reviews on 2011 new TV models sized 32 to 46 inches. Among 12 models, Samsungs 40-inch 3D LED Smart TV D8000 earned 15.0 scores in total, ranked first. This is also top among 88 models when 2010 models included.The 46-inch TV of the same model received 14.5,

ranked second. Que Choisir gave the highest points to picture quality, 3D function, ease of use and multimedia support via a connected network, and chose the 40-inch D8000 as Best Choice (Meilleur choix). 540,000 copies of Que Choisir magazine are printed monthly, and recognized as the best consumer guide by French people who are well

Software transforms photos into 3D

The design software company Autodesk will release free software next week that could turn those snapshots into your own personal replica from a 3-D printer. Called Photofly, the software extracts a detailed 3-D model from a collection of overlapping photos. The software, which will be available for Windows computers only, uploads a users photos to a cloud server for processing and then downloads the results. The 3-D rendering can be viewed as a naked wireframe model of the captured scene or a version with realistic surface color and texture. The colored models can also be shared for viewing in an iPad application, while the underlying wire frame can be exported in standard 3-D design formats for editing. Models produced from a well-taken set of photos will be spatially accurate to within 1 percent or less, high enough quality to be used for professional design projects. You could send that model from your photos to a 3-D printing service to physically recreate what you saw, perhaps at a different scale, says Mathews. In recent years, the cost of 3-D printers and printing services has fallen, with hobbyist machines like the MakerBot and consumer services such as ShapeWays that will print out 3-D models in a variety of ceramics, plastics and metals. Autodesks is the first consumer software capable of producing models accurate

enough for 3-D printing, says Mathews. Similar projects, such as Microsoft Researchs PhotoSynth, and an app based on the same technology that enables a cell phone to convert its photos into 3-D models, only capture 3-D data good enough to add an extra dimension to the content of photos, says Mathews. The same was true of a previous version of Photofly. Photofly runs through several steps to distill an accurate model from a collection of photos. First, it calculates the position from which each photo was taken by triangulating based on the different

views of certain distinctive features. Once the camera positions have been determined, the software goes through a second round of more detailed triangulation, using contrasting views to generate a detailed 3-D surface for everything visible. This technology and the popularity of cameras and cellphones means there are now a couple billion sensors out there that anyone can use to create 3-D content, says YuanFang Wang, a computer scientist at the University of California. (NYT)