Easily express ourselves

Before the norm was 140 characters. 

We were forced to be more concise and brief within 140 characters for a tweet. Every character counts. Brevity was key. It was a challenge to consolidate one's thought in 140 characters that sometimes, users like me would abandon scribbling a tweet.

Last November 7, Twitter announced the change in character count, which wouldn't affect Chinese, Korean and Japanese users as their characters can convey more meaning in a single character.

With 330 million users, Twitter still lags behind Facebook with more than 2 billion (yes, 2 billion users) and even Instagram which is pushing towards 800 million users.

Maybe, the expanded character count would bring in new users and spread more positivity online. Yes, we can criticise and critique and express our opinion via tweets. But do we need to be racists? Bigots? With positivity, technology can work. 

Origins of Twitter

Ten years ago, the first ever tweet came from Jack Dorsey last 22 March 2006. He is the co-founder and CEO of Twitter.  He was inspired by inspired in part by LiveJournal and by AOL Instant Messenger to develop a Web-based realtime status/short message communication service.

 

Together with Biz  Stone, they co-founded Twitter. Stone was previously the creative director of Xanga. Remember Xanga? I do. I think I even had a profile. It was one of the early social networking sites in the early 2000, before it became a Facebook world.

 

Today, Twitter is a microblogging and social networking platform which allows users post and interact with messages known as "tweets.” Noah Glass and Evan Williams joined Dorsey and Stone in March 2006 to start Twitter.

 

Dorsey would later explain the origins of Twitter. “

 

Some stories credit the name of Noah Glass. According to a Business Insider story, Dorsey had an idea for “a completely different product that revolved around "status" — what people were doing at a given time.” In an interview with Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic, last 14 April 2011, Glass says it was he who came up with the name "Twttr."  "I spent a bunch of time thinking about it." Eventually, the name would become Twitter. 

The story further describes Glass passion. “No one at Odeo was more passionate about Twitter in the early days than Odeo's co-founder, Noah Glass.”

 

All these men have contributed to how technology works 

Heroes of August 2012

With bad weather we have been having the past few days, social media has kept us connected. Through Facebook or Twitter, many Filipinos have kept themselves updated not only about the weather condition in various parts of the country but how everyday Filipinos are working against the rains, the floods and the wind to be their own kind of heroes in their own communities. There are many stories of heroism from the rescue of residents stranded in their homes in Provident Village to toddlers being rescued in the flooded barangays around Pampanga.

To the many unknown Filipinos who have risked their lives these past few days, many you be blessed with HIS blessings of life!

War Of Talents

The Philippines has already built a reputation as a preferred off-shoring destination in the world. Growth of the sector continued through 2008 and 2009 and this helped the Philippine economy stay afloat during the global financial crisis.
According to Gaurav Gupta, country head for India of the US-based Everest Group, the industry has registered a compounded annual growth rate of 30 percent since 2006, with an estimated $9 billion in revenue this year. “The Philippines has clearly established itself as number 2 next to India,” says Gupta.

(Photo by Chary Chu)
At 2nd International Outsourcing Summit, held last 26 – 27 Oct. 2010, industry leaders discussed a range of issues facing the BPO sector. One issue was on talent.

Cristina Coronel, president of the Philippine Software Industry Association says that the “war of talent” continues to be a critical issue facing the industry. “The industry has been facing attrition for the longest time.” She saw both an “outflow and inflow strategy” to address the problem. A “gentleman’s agreement” can be forged between companies to control the outflow (piracy of talents). She also saw the need to improve programs and partnerships. “Partnerships with the academe can result to better, smarter talents,” adds Ms. Coronel.


Maulik Parekh, President and CEO of SPi Global say, “Attrition is very company specific.” He mentions that a company should have a culture that is respectful and with a sense of malasakit.” He adds that there are other sources of talents outside Metro Manila. “These talents from key provinces can go head to head with talents from Manila and Cebu.”

Outside Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, these talents can be found in 10 key provincial cities, which have made strong contributions to the economy. These ten cities are called the Next Wave Cities™ These cities are Davao, Sta. Rosa, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Metro Cavite, Lipa City, Cagayan de Oro City, Malolos City, Baguio City, and Dumaguete City. They have been ranked in a scorecard developed by BPA/P and CICT. Metro Manila and Metro Cebu are considered “centers of excellence” and not part of this list.

Investments in talents are essential to sustain its brand as "the sunshine industry," said Oscar Sanez, president and CEO, BPA/P. He adds that talent development needs to “taken to a higher level from certification to training.

Last March, BPA/P launched BNCT (BPA/P National Competency Test). This is an assessment tool that would help generate industry-level talents. This test is given to graduates who would like to pursue a career in the BPO industry. “To date, we have been able to get some funding from government to allow us to distribute the test to 10,000 students nationwide,” says Jamea Garcia, BPA/P Executive Director for Talent Development.

“People either move up or move across. Agents moving from one company to another is part of a free market economy,” says Agarup Sengupta, Managing Director and Global CEO, Aegis Limited. “It also provides a breeding ground for new talent to come in.”

Moulic adds that the country needs a strategy to keep the Philippines competitive as other countries from Africa and South American are beginning to push their own BPO sectors. “We need to go deeper into the educational system.” He sees the need for a stronger “rigor of instruction for English.”

“The challenge we face now is how we can replicate our success. It is exciting to trade ideas with our counterparts from around the world and to share insights into the direction outsourcing will take in its next decade,” says Oscar Sanez, president and CEO, BPA/P.

Gupta adds, “Pushing hard what we are doing today require partnership and collaboration with government.”

The 2nd annual International Outsourcing Summit is a good push and step towards greater collaboration between key industry players. It organized by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), in cooperation with the Board of Investment and the Department of Trade and Industry, supported by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), together with the Board of Investments and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mobile Productivity

The busy executive is always concerned and sometimes worried about his own mobile connectivity. Problems can arise with his broadband connection, whether it be Smart, Globe or Sun. And failure of connectivity could result to an unhappy client or loss of a business opportunity. But the other half of mobile connectivity involves one’s gadget, one’s Blackberry, Nokie or iPhone smartphone. Or one’s laptop. At the launch of the new laptops of Dell held at Terrace at the Fifth (one of my favorite restaurants in Greenbelt 5), I was amazed to see the bright new colors. But most of all, the keyboard had back-lit lights and was “water resistant.” Yes, if you spilled coffee or water or orange juice on your keyboard, it would simply spill through like it was a water-resistant watch. That is great specially if you like eating and working at the same time or often at Starbucks with your Mocha Frappucino close to your laptop. In this video, Tan Hiang talks more about mobile productivity. Maybe, next to my MacBook, I could get used to Dell. I like it’s colors, security features but not really about being water-resistant. For technology to work, don’t drink your coffee near your laptops. It is an accident that is waiting to happen.

Lost and Found: iPhone

What if you accidentally found an iPhone at the counter of a popular drugstore in Greenbelt? Would you pick it up? Keep it for yourself? Read its messages? Check out its photos? Bring it to the store manager? Just leave it on the counter? Or find out who owns it and return it?

Or what if an Apple engineer accidentally loses an iPhone prototype and you happen to be around that place? What if? Actually, both what if’s have happened. Last year, I did accidentally find an unattended iPhone at Watson’s in Greenbelt 1. Was not really jumping up in joy seeing that iPhone as I already owned one. It was nothing new. Been using my iPhone for over a year. And I second iPhone didn’t really present itself as an exciting option.

Out of curiosity, I did pick up the phone. On my mind, I was thinking it was one of those TV pranks like “Wow Mali.” Maybe, Joey de Leon was around? I looked around the store, trying to spot any hidden video cameras. None. I thought of handing it over to the store manager, but that was no guarantee that they would find the owner and return it. It was safe to be in my hands. And I knew how to return it. Simply, call the last incoming number. I did that. Called the last incoming call. Talked to a real estate agent. She identified that the iPhone belonged to a Korean-American filmmaker visiting the country. A few minutes later, the owner did call and we made arrangements to meet up at McDonald’s Greenbelt 1 that same evening. He offered some money as a reward. Huh? No need for any reward, although coffee might have been nice?

You surely read the news or heard the buzz about an Apple employee named Gray Powell who lost a prototype of the next-generation iPhone4 somewhere in Redwood City. Imagine. The future iPhone that Steve Jobs proudly introduced just a few days ago.

Someone did pick it that lost prototype and reportedly made some effort to find out who owned it. That was really easy. Steve Jobs. But the “finder” decided to sell the prototype to Jason Chen who paid US$5,000 for the “lost” phone. He posted photos of the phone on this blog at Gizmodo.com And quickly his blog got around 9 million readers.

Apple also reported the “theft.” The prototype was ultimately returned to Apple. Gizmodo editor Jason Chen was raided by members of the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team. Chen refused to answer questions.

Questions have been raised about media and checkbook journalism, where some journalists pay for information. I don’t think it is right or ethical to pay for information. But must admit the search for a scoop might be too tempting specially, if it involved a very popular tech brand like Apple.

So next time, you are around a bar or fast-food chain and see an iPhone, pick it and return it to its rightful owner!

Digital Explorer

Technology indeed works and breaks the barriers of communities, which includes teachers and students, and help enhance learning opportunities for young students.
Last May 20, 2010, British explorer, Ed Stafford, conducted a live classroom session from the heart of the Amazon Rainforest to students who were at the new Rainforest Exhibit at London Zoo. It was an actual learning session from the Amazon Rain Forest to the rain forest in at the London Zoo. Ed is currently undertaking the first ever attempt to walk the entire length of the Amazon River. He has been walking since 02 April 2008. Photo of Ed Stafford by Keith Ducatel

This zoo is run by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity founded in 1826. You can visit www.zsl.org The zoo opened to the public in 1847 and is the oldest scientific zoo. The zoo used to be the home to Chi Chi, a giant panda who inspired Peter Scott's design for the World Wildlife Fund logo. Chi Chi died in 1972.

Using latest satellite and digital computer technologies, Ed spoke life with a group of young students from Swiss Cottage School at the Rainforest Exhibit at London Zoo.

Through Digital Explorer’s pioneering virtual Academy of Exploration, the connectivity between teachers and students has been enhanced. The Academy uses the latest communication technologies to bring real-life experiences in exploration and science into the many young minds. This totally different learning experience is made possible by modern day explorers like Ed Stafford.

In a press statement, Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop, Director of Digital Explorer says, “Having Ed speak live from the Amazon to a group of pupils at London Zoo just shows what is possible in education now. The Digital Explorer Academy of Exploration makes this kind of opportunity open to schools across the UK.”

And this learning opportunity is free. Teachers can register for free access to multi-media, educational resources and LIVE lessons direct from expeditions across the planet www.digitalexplorer.com