Third World PC

Back to minimalist shoes: the Vivo Barefoot Neo

2011-03-18T22:07:00.000+08:00

Back in the day, I used to prefer running with minimalist shoes -- retro-styled sneakers that had little cushioning. The last pair I used when I was still running regularly were black and gold Puma sneakers that looked similar to the Usain Bolt-branded pair pictured below. Back then I didn't have any "scientific" reasons for preferring minimal shoes over cushioned ones -- I just liked being able

5K Route, QC: UP Diliman (Start: Oblation | End: Oblation)

2011-02-09T09:09:00.000+08:00

The Oblation Run. (No, not the annual frat-sponsored sausage fest.) The run starts along the Acad. Oval, in front of the Oblation sculpture. Run towards the Checkpoint (near the pointy waiting sheds). Turn right on E. Jacinto and run towards the UP Gym. Run past the E. Jacinto-Magsaysay Ave. intersection, uphill towards Ylanan. When you reach Ylanan, turn right and run along it until you reach

The best things in life are free! (Runkeeper Pro)

2011-01-29T11:40:00.000+08:00

Looks like the good folks at Runkeeper were so happy with the response to the January 2011 Runkeeper Pro promo that they decided to extend it -- indefinitely! Runkeeper Pro -- with all its bells and whistles -- will continue to be available for free to all iPhone and Android users, even after January 2011. Hooray! In the time since I resumed running, I've tried all of the top Run-tracking apps,

5K route, QC: UP Diliman (Start: Eng'g | End: UP Shopping Center)

2011-01-21T19:26:00.001+08:00

The 5K Oblation and Heartbreak (Hill) Route Click the map to enlarge The run starts along the Academic Oval, at the corner of Apacible St. and Osmena Ave., near Melchor Hall (the College of Eng'g). Run straight along the Academic Oval -- follow it around the corner till you reach the Oblation. Turn right, on University Ave., and run straight till you reach the Checkpoint. Turn right on E.

To a happy, healthy 2011!

2011-01-17T15:07:00.002+08:00

2010 was a fun year, but it was also one of the worst ones I can remember in terms of my health. It began with an annoying bout with Herpes Zoster (no, NOT the STD -- rather the dormant Chicken Pox virus playing Bruce Willis in Die Hard 3: With a Vengeance), was frequented by struggles against Allergic Rhinitis and more than a couple bouts with the Flu, and limped to a close care of a Grade III

And the (Tablet PC OS) winner is...

2010-06-30T20:35:00.000+08:00

Windows 7: Best support for pen-abled computing; Best-in-class Tablet PC applications, many of which are Windows-only. To name a few: Inkseine (Microsoft Research) Windows Journal (part of the Windows 7 suite of applications) OneNote 2007/2010 (Microsoft Office) Classroom Presenter 3 (University of Washington) PDF Annotator (Grahl Software Design) ArtRage 2.x/3 (Ambient Design) ritePen 3.5 (

HP Compaq TC4400 and Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

2010-03-01T22:40:00.006+08:00

A really big plus for Tablet PC users who want to try Linux is that, with the recent versions of Ubuntu based distros at least, the WACOM digitizer is a recognized input source on first boot. Moving the mouse about by hovering the pen just over the display, clicking objects by tapping the screen with the pen, moving objects by clicking, holding, and then dragging -- these are some of the

Edging out the iPad?

2010-02-06T22:02:00.000+08:00

The Apple iPad certainly looks to be an appealing consumer device, but I'm personally more intrigued by another product: the Entourage Edge. It is a Dual-screen Tablet-like device – Entourage calls it the world’s first “Dualbook”: one screen has a grayscale E-ink display (similar to what the Kindle has), the other has a full-color resistive touchscreen display that runs on the Google Android OS.

Tragedies, Politics; Tablets, Ebook wars… Gadgets, gadgets, Gadgets!

2010-02-06T20:41:00.002+08:00

It has been a while – more than 4 months in fact – since my last post, and a lot has happened since then. Ondoy was followed by several other typhoons, and then strangely a dry spell due to El Nino. Down south, the culture of arrogance and violence in Philippine politics took a tragic, criminal turn when more than 50 people were assaulted, tortured, and massacred in Ampatuan, Maguindanao; Martial

On Mikey's proposal to regulate Facebook and Social Networking in General

2009-09-30T11:09:00.003+08:00

Mikey Arroyo's take on his Facebook scandal: (http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro/20090930met4.html ---> through mlq3 via twitter, http://twitter.com/mlq3) Regulate, regulate, regulate.. But who will do the regulation? Siya? Gobyerno? Hirap na hirap na nga mag-coordinate ang NDCC sa isang particular nexus ng information (specific sa Ondoy), eto't nangangarap pa ang isang Mikey Arroyo na i-regulate

How I try to keep my system and data safe and secure

2009-09-19T09:37:00.004+08:00

(Note: a large chunk of this has been taken from an email where I responded to somebody’s request for advice on how to improve the performance of his Tablet PC – we use the same model, the HP COmpaq TC400. I simply removed the first part of the message, which gave input specific to his concerns, and shared the second part which are more general suggestions. I hope somebody else find will be able

Kay sarap pala maging Pilipino?

2009-08-04T17:45:00.003+08:00

The most interesting thing that admirers of Cory have been toasting the late President for – especially those who were in the streets fighting against the dictatorship even before the EDSA Revolution unfolded – is for playing a big role in helping to bring self-respect back to the Filipinos. This sentiment is best expressed in the the Apo Hiking Society/Jim Paredes-penned Anthem, “Handog

Linux (Ubuntu) on a Third World Computer

2009-07-27T00:17:00.001+08:00

Before anything, allow let me clarify a few things. I am not an expert Linux user. I like to think that I'm capable and willing enough to troubleshoot if I encounter any problems in the course of using the operating system - I make use of Google a lot, visit forums as the need arises, and tinker around with configuration files if suggested - but I am more casual user than command line

I'm not dead (yet)

2009-06-17T08:46:00.000+08:00

I've been busy at work, but I'll be posting something new shortly. In the time since I last posted I bought and Intel Atom dual core PC and I've been playing with it since. Expect some linux love in the near future. :)

Easy Desktop and Windows Management with Dexpot

2009-04-28T20:42:00.001+08:00

Multitasking If you are like me, a typical day at the office is not usually spent on just one kind of task alone. At any given time, it is likely for me to find that I have to jump from one project to another, within my computing environment or otherwise. Depending on the kinds of tasks that need to be done, and as a consequence of the limited screen real estate available, it is very easy for

(Commercial break again)

2009-04-18T20:05:00.000+08:00

What’s wrong with this picture? :)

(Commercial break)

2009-04-09T21:55:00.001+08:00

Before going on about how my PC environment is set up in the workplace, I just want to link to an excellent post by Samer over at Freeware Genius. In that post he gives a

My work area

2009-04-07T21:07:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a busy month, which is why things basically have crawled to a standstill here at Third World PC. I’ve been spending so much time working that I may as well share what my work area looks like. Ever since I got my Tablet PC I’ve been tinkering with it, trying to figure out the optimal setup that would best take advantage of its note-taking strengths, while at the same time

Google Maps for the Philippines!

2009-03-13T09:36:00.003+08:00

For the longest time the Philippines had been inadequately charted in Google maps. For instance, in Manial, only the major thoroughfares, like EDSA, had been identified - and even these had the major shortcoming of being wildly imprecise, vis-a-vis the satellite image of the actual terrain.That was then, this is now:View Larger MapWow, how cool is that! I haven't been this excited about and

MRT3: Why I have chosen to stop using it indefinitely

2009-03-10T13:33:00.002+08:00

The MRT3 has been an important mode of transportation for commuters in Metro Manila. For one thing, its existence has helped to significantly ease the congestion along EDSA, particularly during the peak hours. (I was going to refer to it as the morning and evening rushes, but considering how vehicles are more likely to inch through EDSA than rush through it, doing so would have been making use of

Genius Navigator T835 Laser: Wireless Mouse and Presenter

2009-03-01T20:19:00.001+08:00

My newest toy. Last Friday I went to Cyberzone Megamall to look for a wireless mouse. I already have a wireless optical mouse but I thought that I needed something with more mappable keys – the 5-button, vertical and horizontal scrolling mouse that came with my office’s Dell workstations has convinced me of the merits of having more than a standard two-button mouse. I ended up

Posting from my E63

2009-03-01T18:10:00.001+08:00

Since shortly after I bought my E63, I've been looking for a convenient way to post entries to this blog from within the phone. Till now I've had to content myself with composing the textual content in Quickoffice, and then transferring to document to my TC4400 for editing, final processing, and posting (using Windows Live Writer). About a month ago, I happened upon a blogging app for Symbian S60

Amazon Kindle.. in the Philippines?

2009-02-25T10:20:00.002+08:00

No, as of now there is no official word, either from Amazon, or from any of the major local network providers that the Kindle will indeed be available for the Philippine market. I have personally been itching to get one, and I would have already had there been a way to purchase books for the Kindle locally. Unfortunately, the Kindle has so far been exclusive to the United States market because of

Skype strikes a deal with Nokia

2009-02-18T20:20:00.004+08:00

According to this report from ZDNet, Skype has agreed to let Nokia ship phones that come with Skype pre-nstalled, the first of which being the upcoming N97. The software is fully featured in that it would allow users to make free Skype-to-Skype calls over WiFi or 3.xG, or Skypeout calls for a fee. While support for Skype is already being provided by 3rd party software (Fring and Nimbuzz, among

Tipid CP Nokia E63 Community Wiki

2009-02-11T15:15:00.006+08:00

Tipid CP (Cellphone) is an online community devoted to all-things-about-mobile-phones. Although it's primarily meant to function as a marketplace for cellphones, it also hosts different forums where users can discuss, among others, their favorite brands or models. One of the most active in recent months has been the thread for E63 users; testament to the level of activity is the fact that the

Nokia E63: 3rd party apps

2009-02-03T15:19:00.000+08:00

As promised, I shall be featuring the 3rd party applications that I have installed to extend the usefulness of my E63. The phone runs on the Symbian S60 platform which is one of the most widely and actively supported on mobile devices. Most of the software that I'm using are legally free to use; one is a commercially available app that, for my purposes, has been well worth the purchase. Freeware

Nokia E63: Out of the box and into my life

2009-01-16T09:14:00.000+08:00

This week marks my first month of using the E63. Of course when I bought the phone in December I was very excited about what it had to offer; I thought I was getting a steal for Php 12,500. With a few weeks of actual use under my belt, I think it may be useful to profile the E63: how it performs under the banner of several functional criteria. (The typical phone functions - calling, SMS, MMS -

Nokia E63: Why I bought this Smart Phone and why you may want to do the same.

2009-01-07T23:56:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago, in mid-December just before the start of the long holiday break, I decided that I was in the market for a smart phone, in particular for a smart phone with a qwerty keypad. After work, I went to Cyberzone in Megamall looking to choose between two phones in particular: the Nokia E71 and the Samsung i780. By that time, I had already gone through a handful of reviews about both

Tablet PC Software (Part3)

2008-12-08T23:44:00.001+08:00

Although Tablet PCs are excellent productivity tools, they are not just meant for work - they are also a big bag of fun! One of the most enjoyable things to do on a tablet pc is digital art & ArtRage 2.5 is one of the most popular programs for doing this. The full version can be unlocked by buying a license, but the publishers have also made a free Starter edition available,

Tablet PC Software (Part2b)

2008-12-05T00:15:00.002+08:00

This is the continuation of my feature on the applications that I use for notetaking and project management. Today I'll talk about some of the features of OneNote 2007 that I like and use a lot. Show/Hide Text

Tablet PC Software (Part2)

2008-12-03T13:42:00.006+08:00

Today I'll talk about two applications that I depend on heavily for note-taking and project management: Inkseine and OneNote 2007. While both are Microsoft products, only OneNote 2007 has been released commercially - standalone or as part of several Microsoft Office Suites. On the other hand, Inkseine is a research prototype developed by Ken Hinckley and his team over at

Tablet PC Software (Part1)

2008-12-02T08:52:00.005+08:00

I have often read about or heard this opinion expressed, about how tablets are a niche type of device, of interest only to a niche part of the market. Having been a regular user for around three months, I'm convinced that this popular statement is more a product of economics than ergonomics. A platform that allows an active use of one of the key characteristics that

Profile

2008-12-01T14:14:00.003+08:00

It wouldn't be right to proceed without first introducing my partner for this endeavor: My tablet pc, the HP Compaq TC 4400 As far as tablets go, the TC 4400 is a convertible which means that it could be used as you would a typical laptop, with a keyboard and touchpad/ pointing stick combo; or by swiveling the lcd to face outward and then closing the lid, it could be used as a tablet

Mission/Vision

2008-11-29T17:13:00.000+08:00