Wired and Sleepless in Seattle?

If you are probably working or living around the Makati Central Business district (MCBD), chances are “you are wired.” The growth of Wi-Fi locations and café continues to increase. Some are free, but you would really need to go and ask the “barista.”

Plus, if you have We Roam and Globe Visibility, you can easily get on-line. It is as simple as plug and play, unless, your server is currently experiencing an “outage.” And routers costs have become reasonable too. Most private universities and colleges around Metro Manila are wired. Again, you need to have your laptops “registered.”

Wondering which cities in the US are most wired? Probably, those closest Silicon Valley? Or even New York?

Nope, it is Seattle. Yup, where Dr. Frazier Crane (the radio psychologist played by Kelsey Grammer in the TV series, “Cheers”) used to have his radio program. Or we know Seattle as the birthplace of Starbucks (1971) and Seattle’s Best Coffee (1968). Sorry, am scribbling this blog from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, along Ayala Avenue, just across GT Tower.

It is interesting to note that a number of tech companies like Amazon hold residence in Seattle, which now claims the title as “America’s most wired city.” Photo shows the city landscape and the famous Space Needle, from the 1962 Century 21 Exposition. This is Seattle's most recognizable landmark and has been featured in the logo of the TV show, “Frasier.”

According to the latest Forbes’ annual list of 30 most broadband connected cities, Seattle’s increased use of broadband pushed the city’s ranking to the top, along with its increased number of Wi-Fi hot spots. Note that according survey data by the United States Census Bureau, Seattle is the most educated city in the U.S., with 52.4 percent of residents aged 25 and older having a bachelor's degree. And Seattle has the highest percentage of college and university graduates of any major U.S. city!

If you are wired in Seattle, you will definitely, won’t be “sleepless in Seattle?”

Atlanta, which held the Forbes’ top wired city spot in 2007 and 2008, went down to number 2. The US center of politics, Washington, D.C., moved up from No. 11 last year to No. 3. And with President Obama’s keeping is Blackberry and his support for universal broadband, Washington could remain in the top three for the next few years.

Ranked 4th and 5th are Orlando and Boston. Orlando with its millions visiting Disney World would need all the Wi-Fi hot spots it can get. Boston? Usage is high because of its over 100 colleges and universities that includes IVY league like Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Just like the U-belt around Espana and Recto?

Wouldn't it be great if Makati or Manila were all “wired?”

But these ranking could change as data is also changing as the number of Wi-Fi hot spots in restaurants, cafés and even gas stations increase in these cities increase. Even President Obama’s tech policies could affect these rankings. His policies give support better data availability and improvement of broadband service in the States. Here, we are still waiting for CICT to become a full-pledged department. What is taking it so long? Am sure, a DICT would contribute to a more "wired" community!

Megan Fox as Lara Croft

I really can't get of "Transformers."" Even if I had seen it a few times on the big screen, I still continue to watch it at HBO. And last night, I caught the movie again, while enjoying carbonara that my loving mom had cooked for us. And as a reward after a long day at work and perk up my viewing experience with our Samsung flat-screen TV, I had Coke Zero to compliment my spaghetti.

Yup, behind the animation technology that makes the transformation smooth, the heat between the two young leading characters is worth watching again. Megan Fox plays Mikaela Banes, who has a juvenile record. She has some mechanical skills from her father and initially withholds the truth from Sam about her past.

This time, I tried to focus on the smaller details of the movie. I saw the Transformers logo at the steering wheel of the “bumblebee” and how sexy Megan Fox is in the movie.

Ruggedly sexy as she drives the injured Bumblebee back into battle supported by a tow truck. Bumblebee eventually destroys Brawl.

Megan Denise Fox was born May 16, 1986. She made her fim debut in the 2001 film "Holiday in the Sun" and also was in the TV series "Hope and Faith." Megan is also a popular model and has been featured in the FHM, GQ, and Maxim. She was voted by FHM as the Sexiest Woman in the World in 2008.

Did you know she has nine tattoos?

And I still find sexy that scene wherein “bumblebee” breaks down and gives Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) a problem and Megan Fox checks the engine of the 1976 Chevrolet Camaro. Above photo of Megan from http://movies.radiofree.com/photos

And am just watching the news that Megan Fox will soon play Lara Croft!

Virtual Reunions via Telepresence

I first saw the Cisco Telepresence in use watching “24.” Yup, the famous real-time popular TV series, featuring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. In that episode, at CTU, there was a video conference call. I noticed the Cisco logo on the three monitors across the round tables in a conference room. As in any episode, everything was a race against time and the Telepresence equipment was the most convenient and fastest way to bring people across the US together to face the crisis that Jack Bauer is trying to solve. Photo of Kiefer Sutherland from www.ew.com

I am still a little envious whenever I would hear another phone ring using the Cisco ringtone. I never figured out up to today how to download that Cisco ringtone on my iPhone.

But watching Telepresence on TV really doesn’t give justice to what the Telepresence is until one experiences it live and in person. Working with Cisco gave me this opportunity. This rare opportunity, maybe, to be like Jack Bauer sitting across a conference round-table and speaking to someone thousands of miles away.

Last February 11, 2009, I did experience Telepresence. After our pilot session with a couple of OFW families, we talked with Lulu Salazar and other officials from the Bayanihan Center in Hong Kong. And yes, Telepresence is a totally different experience. One can see up close and personal the smallest details of emotion. For these virtual reunions among OFWs, joy and excitement can be felt across this virtual technology.

Today, Cisco offers these “virtual reunions” for free for OFWs outside the Philippines. Two families, the Savedras from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and the Ubamos (not Obamas) had gone through this virtual reunions.

Can you imagine if the hundreds of thousands Filipino OFWs knew about Telepresence? There will probably long lines outside Cisco offices across 131 cities spread 40 countries. There are over 300 Telepresence facilities around the globe!

Cisco Philippines is the third country in Southeast Asia to put into place TelePresence. Singapore and Malaysia also have these facilities, together with over 300 TelePresence facilities.

YouTube In October 2008

Would you like to know how many online videos Internet users in the States watched in YouTube? According to October 2008 date from comScore Video Metrix Service, a total of 13.5 billion… yup, billion videos were viewed by users in the States. That is quite a staggering figure.


YouTube accounted for around 98% of total videos viewed, followed by Fox Interactive Media with 520 million videos (3.8 percent). Yahoo! Sites accounted for 2.7% or 363 million followed by Viacom Digital at 2.3% or 305 million video. Hulu, a joint venture of NBC and Fox featuring full-length broadcast TV programs, ranked sixth with 235 million videos viewed (1.7 percent).

These figures are from the recent data released by the comScore Video Metrix service last December 9, 2008.

Other findings showed that the average online video viewer watched 274 minutes of video. A total of 99.5 million viewers watched 5.3 billion videos on YouTube.com with an average of 53.2 videos per viewer.
Me? Not even five minutes of YouTube. I really spend more minutes at Facebook or Friendster or Yahoo Sports!

Just read that LA Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns!


And tonight, Chief and I will watch "IyoTube" at Bubble Gang. Last week, we really had a blast as they featured "Macarena."

Six Degrees by Kevin

Yesterday morning, we were catching snippets of “The Today Show” on cable (Channel 19). And we saw Kevin Bacon collecting gifts and toys from the live audience that gathered at Rockefeller Plaza, New York. And later being interviewed by the hosts, Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, Al Roker and Ann Curry.

Ann asked Kevin about his social networking site called Six Degrees. Kevin said that this site reaches out to hundreds of charity organizations around the globe. I had written about social networking sites before in my column at the Manila Times and through my research, I had learned that SixDegrees.org links people to charities.

In this morning’s episode, Kevin was promoting his latest movie, “Frost/Nixon” where he plays Jack Brennan. The film directed by Ron Howard (remember, Richie Cunningham of Happy Days?). This film version of a Broadway play about the relationship of broadcaster David Frost (played by Michael Sheen) and former US president, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella).

Maybe, next time, Chief and I are in the East Coast, we can wake up early enough to catch the live broadcast of the show! Hopefully!

But these words are about Kevin’s online presence through six degrees.com which reaches out to people who have more in life to share with the majority who have less. Am sure there are many more portals that use technology to share life’s blessings with others.

79 million watched

Like many other Filipinos, I was tuned in online eagerly awaiting the results of the US elections last Friday, 05 November 2008. Incidentally, that was also a significant day for Chief and myself. We had a dinner date at Le Maison, Greenbelt 5.

When I came to work that Friday morning, the TV was tuned in to CNN.

According to Nielsen, in a story by Michael Learmonth
published in Ad Age, cable news led the regular broadcast networks in keeping audience informed about the election. Even both Colbert and Stewart appeared in a joint program on election date (which we caught a reply last night).

Research showed that on that day, CNN had an average of 13.1 million viewers. Those numbers are just slightly ahead of more ABC which had 13.2 million. I wish I had data to share between kapuso and kapamilya.

Nearly 79 million people eagerly awaited the winner between Obama and McCain. According to Nielsen, these numbers are much much higher than four years ago (59 million), when Bush “won” his second term over John Kerry.


Can you imagine how many watched Sarah Palin on NBS’s “Saturday Night Live?”

Ragnarok Championships at WTC

Am scribbling from the World Trade Center for the Ragnarok World Championships, organized by Level-up and sponsored by my partner of choice, Yahoo! In the coupe of games I, together with the thousand of gamers I have seen, Team Indonsia defeated Team France in two games.

And I few minites ago, Team Philippines lost to Team Thailand.

Am I gamer? Hmmmmmmm. Time Crisis is probably the closest I will get to a game. hehehe But I did get one of those plug-in weapons for my PS2. And with a new big Samsung flat-screen TV at home, I can further enjoy my game.

But am a BIG online gaming fan... and have a few posters. When I was with another agency, I attended the "Domination" Event by eGames and now, here at the Level-up Event for Yahoo Philippines.

My thesis students are also here, helping out. Justine. Ging. Jaime. Aina.
plus a couple of junion students, Jenna, John and Claire.

Predictions? Maybe, Team Korea will win later?