What is Second Life?

In 1982, Disney produced a movie called Tron. Jeff Bridges played the role of Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who digitized and thrown into a virtual world controlled by MCP (an artificial intelligence based-master control program). In this virtual world, Flynn meets several virtual characters like Tron (played by Bruce Boxleitner). They go through several challenges until they defeat MCP.

Tron was one of the first movies to extensively use computer graphics. Its nearly 20 minutes of animation has been considered a breakthrough in filmmaking technology. I believe Tron gave the world a preview of a virtual world.

Today, one of these virtual worlds is called “Second Life.” Opened in 2003 by Linden Labs, this is the virtual world of nearly 9 million inhabitants (and counting). It is a vast digital continent where residents live and create their own virtual experiences. They build their own homes using Linden dollars and create their own professional and personal opportunities.

“Second Life has evolved into an alternate world with its own economy. Second Lifers can login as whoever they want to be, be whatever they want to be, and do whatever they want to do inside this “alternative reality,” said Philip Tiongson, strategic planning and consultancy director of UM Consulting, the marketing communications consultancy division of Universal McCann.

Users are called "Residents" who create their own avatars that makes them interact with other users. They can socialize and participate in group activities. And like what my friend, Philip said, do whatever they want to do in this “alternative reality.”

If your into business, there is Second Life's virtual currency. It is called the Linden Dollar. One can exchange it for real currency. Thus many brands are present in Second Life offering various products and services.

At the end of March 2008, approximately 13 million accounts were registered, but you can be sure many are inactive accounts or other users have multiple accounts. Like, I do have two Friendster accounts.

Like any business, Second Life does have competitors, which I shall blog about soon.

For more about Second Life, please click on my Manila Times column, "Marketing IT," published last September 2007.

Staying Connected

Everybody wants to be connected and technology helps us get connected, either through our wi-fi connection at cafes like Starbucks, Seattle's Best or my wife's favorite, Figaro at Rockwell.

At home, through Globe Visibility my laptop is connected.

But beyond technology, everybody wants to get connected through SNS or social networking sites. These includes the popular sites like Friendster, LinkedIn, My Space, Facebook, Six Degrees and hundreds of other SNS.

Social networking has gone beyond being linked or connected to friends and families. It has become an important marketing communications tool that brings brand messages across the Internet to millions of users. It is measurable and targeted. Photo of LinkedIn logo at their office lobby in

Am developing a column on social networking for my April column at the Manila Times.

And with the growing importance and impact of SNS, there will a Social Networking and eBusiness Conference Philippines 2008 will be held at Hotel Intercontinental, Ayala Avenue, Makati City on May 20 and 21, 2008.

For more information, please call: Ms. Maricor Tornea and Angie Tuzon, Project Managers, at telephone numbers: +632- 896-0639, 896-0637, 899-6216, email: fiera@info.com.ph, visit web site: http://www.fmi.com.ph.

Earth Hour

Last Saturday night, around 8pm, Filipinos joined the world in shutting down their lights for Earth Hour.

Chief and I were actually having dinner with friends in condo somewhere in Makati and from the 24th floor, we could see dimmed lights in the Makati City landscape. Through dinner, candles lit the room and gave the ambiance more warmth.

Days prior Earth Hour, text messages and email were being exchanged and passed around through our tech gadgets to spread the message of Earth Hour. I got a text message from my friend Earnest Custodio of McCann an hour before Earth Hour.


According to http://www.earthhour.org/ 24 cities participated in Earth Hour at 8pm on that day. Photo from www.earthhour.org

The website further says that Earth Hour had a clear and single message to communities and business to take simple steps for the earth, our bigger home! Earth Hour urges that through collective efforts, everyone can contribute in very simple steps like businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty and households turning off appliances.

At our greenhome, we now take the plug out of the sockets.

You can sign up at their website at http://www.earthhour.org/

As of this blog today, around 289,890 have signed up!

Yup, technology works and can help the earth!

Friendster Facts

Did you know that based on research from Alexa.com, Filipinos are among the biggest users of Friendster? Yup, Filipinos definitely love to connect to their families and friends in the country and around the globe! We rank ahead of other Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

There are many social networking sites (SNS). Over one hundred! And we probably know the more popular SNS like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and even Classmates. But there are really some basic difference and many similarities between these SNS.

Common among many SNS are the abilities and utilities what users can do on their personal sites. Create and update personal profiles that allows users to upload photos, share videos and blogs. And link up with other users and join groups, plus leave comments on each other’s pages.

I am among the 60 million plus users of Friendster across 75 countries around the globe, since Friendster first begun in 2002 in San Francisco.

And thanks to technology, I have caught up with friends across the globe.

You, technology works.

Read more soon about my next column in the Manila Times about Social Networking!

Technology Thieves

Despite the advancement of technology, good old-fashioned quick thinking and common sense, plus the fast response of the Makati police led to the arrest of "technology thieves" who falsified documents to buy Havianas and Nike using a Citibank credit stolen from my friend Mel Dominguez.

Read the story below from Erwin Oliva and be extra careful the next time you use your credit card, even in well-known and popular establishments like Red Box Karaoke Bar as the cashier or service staff could be in members of "technology thieves."

Credit card thieves fall in Glorietta mall

By: Erwin Oliva, Julie M. Aurelio
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:03am (Mla time) 03/08/2008

MANILA , Philippines --A taste for expensive signature brands did them in.

An employee of a popular videoke bar and four others were arrested Friday night in Makati after buying several brand-name items amounting to between P40,000 and P50,000 with the use of a stolen credit card.

The five alleged thieves were cornered inside the Glorietta 3 mall at the Ayala Center after public relations executive Imelda Dominguez, the credit card's owner, learned that the card was used in a transaction after she had lost it.

Supt. Manny Santos Jr, chief of the Makati police's investigation section, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) the suspects will be charged on Monday at the city prosecutors' office with violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Credit Card Access Law.

The suspects were identified as Ma. Concepcion Enriquez, 22, her brother Regie Enriquez, 21; Rey Paul Ibañez, 18; and Robert Castaneda, 22; all jobless and residents of Mandaluyong City.

Also arrested was Pauline Carla Arenal, 25, a cashier of the Red Box KTV on the third floor of Greenbelt 3 where the credit card was reported lost.

A representative from Matrix Entertainment, which operates the Red Box KTV, told INQUIRER.net that the company was fully cooperating with the police investigation, and has reportedly ordered an internal investigation in its branch in Greenbelt 3 where the employee was allegedly involved.

Initial investigation showed that Dominguez, 45, a resident of Kingswood Condominium in Brgy La Paz, Makati City , lost her Citibank credit card at the Red Box KTV on Friday and reported it to bank authorities.

Citibank immediately informed Dominguez, who just came from Singapore, that her missing credit card was being used, prompting her to alert security personnel in Glorietta mall, where the last transaction was made.

Glorietta 3 security officer Sonny Sablay told INQUIRER.net that Dominguez alerted them Friday afternoon of the ongoing transaction by the suspects.

Mall security was able to corner the suspects at around 5:22 p.m. at the Glorietta 3, minutes after they allegedly made the unauthorized purchases.

"We were able to recover Havainas slippers, Nike shoes, Nike jackets and other items from the suspects, as well as the stolen credit card in the name of Imelda R. Dominguez," Santos said.

Police added the suspects carried with them an allegedly fake identification card and even reportedly forged Dominguez's signature in making the purchases.

Arenal and the other suspects are currently in the custody of the Makati City Police awaiting inquest proceedings on Monday

Challenges of Connectivity

Problems can arise given the increasing number of Wi-Fi access points especially in high-density areas like condominiums or office buildings. An excessive number of access points result in “Wi-Fi Pollution.” This can prevent access and interfere with the use of other access points. Devices like security cameras, Bluetooth devices and even cordless phones and microwave ovens can also cause additional interference. In fact, several years ago, we had a dilemma with the 2.4GHz band radio spectrum utilized by the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard as the frequency is used (until now) by Meralco in Metro Manila.

Wireless networks use radio signals that makes them vulnerable. They don’t have the same physical boundaries or structure like cables that wired networks use. And these signals don’t end at your door. They can reach your neighbor across the street or the room above you where a hacker who can access your passwords and can get into your computer through your own wireless router. (In the case of Meralco, interfere with their communications equipment.)

Or you enter a free “poisoned hotspot” set up by identity thieves for the purpose of “sniffing” data sent by different users. This abuse can be avoided by the use of VPN or Virtual Private Network.

Just remember that air space is free and all our text messages and emails travel through this air space, so don't be surprised if there is technology that can "grab" it while it travels.

Better be safe and secured, than sorry.

You can click on "Are you secured" or
read the complete column in the Manila Times at
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/04

Origins of GPS

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, the world’s first man-made satellite navigation system. It was launched in 1978 by the US Department of Defense. During the cold war, GPS was used primarily for military purposes.

After the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down in 1983, President Ronald Reagan issued a directive making GPS available for free for civilian use, specially, for the aviation industry.

By 1996, President Clinton authorized Selective Availability phased out in NAVSTAR (Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging), the official US government name for GPS. Selective Availability was used to limit GPS accuracy for civilian users. With Selective Availability out, civilians can now achieve 10 to 15 meters accuracy, compared to the previously available 100-meter accuracy. This is a major win for the manufacturers and marketers of GPS devices.

By the way, there is no set-up charges or subscription fees to use GPS! A GPS device receives signals and information transmitted by 24 satellites. They are arranged in their orbits that allow a GPS device to receive at least 4 signals at any given time. They are then turned into more user-friendly calculations in terms of latitude/longitude or location on a map, and then displayed on to the device.

My first experience with a hand-held Garmin GPS was last January, when my cousin, Ben Velez, lend me his unit while Cecile and I were going around the Big Apple. Yes, it was helpful and help get us to shopping places. Yes, technology works!

Photos courtesy of Google Images.

Please check my whole column (Meet Magellan) at
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/07

Future IT journalists?

Last Friday, the "Write IT Right" on the spot writing contest was held at STI Makati City. 25 young writers from different high schools in Metro Manila got together with IT journalists from Cyberpress for the 1st edition of the contest.


Photo above shows students registering for the "on the spot" writing contest.


Photo above shows the young writers listening to the rules and regulations.


Photo above shows high school students working on their articles.



Photo shows all the young writers with journalists from Cyberpress, led by Melvin Calimag of Manila Bulletin and Marlon Magtira of P{C Buyers Guide.

Travel Fast

In 1998, I was in Japan for two weeks. I was attending a regional trade promotions training program organized by the Japanese Ministry of Trade and AOTS (Association of Overseas Technical Scholars).


And I, together with eight other Filipinos (Chin, Menchie, Honey, Injong, Nelia, Roland, and others) took a bullet train ride from Osaka to Tokyo.

Boy, it was a fast train. These high-speed trains run through a network called The Shinkansen. The trains first started in 1964 running at 210 km/h (130 mph).

Shinkansen literally means "New Trunk Line" and hence strictly speaking refers only to the tracks, while the trains themselves are officially referred to as "Super Express." Shinkansen use tunnels and viaducts to go through and over obstacles, rather than around them.

Commander Data

Final Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Last assignment: Second Officer/Science Officer, U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E
Full Name: Data
Date of birth:
Feb. 2, 2338
Place of birth:
Omicron Theta science colony
Parents: Created by Dr. Noonien Soong and Dr. Juliana O'Donnell Soong Tainer
Education: Starfleet Academy, 2341-45
Marital status: Single
Children: One, deceased
Quarters: Formerly, Enterprise-D: Deck 2/Room 3653
Date of death: 2379
Place of death: Destroyed with Reman ship Scimitar in line of duty
Service Awards: Starfleet Command Decoration for Valor; Starfleet Command Decoration for Gallantry; Medal of Honor, with Clusters; Legion of Honor; The Starcross

If you are a Trekkie like me, then you would know Commander Data, played by Brent Spinner in the TV series “Star Trek, The New Generation.”

Commander Data is an android that knows almost everything that is stored in his own “data center.” According to Wikipedia, his storage capacity is reportedly at 93,132,257.5 gigabytes, while his processing speed is at “60 trillion operations per second” or 60 teraflops!

Can you imagine if instead of data centers, businessmen would have Commander Data by their side during meetings, storing, processing and pulsing information at unimaginable speed?

Read more about "Working with Commander Data" in the Manila Times.

Click on Commander Data or
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/03/yehey/techtimes