Far Eastern University-East Asia College (FEU-EAC), one of the leading technology institutions in the Philippines, has partnered with Globe Telecom to provide an innovative mobile communication solution for its campus community with the launch of the Globe FEU-EAC prepaid SIM.
This specialized Globe SIM provides FEU-EAC students, faculty, and staff up-to-the-minute announcements and information on what is happening in the campus including class suspensions, enrollment schedules, and various academic events. Those using the FEU-EAC Globe SIM can enjoy a promo call rate of only P3 per minute and a texting rate of P0.50 per message to fellow Globe FEU-EAC subscribers as well as regular Globe and TM subscribers.
Other universities with co-branded SIM cards include University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Adamson University, University of Makati, Central Philippines University, University of St. La Salle, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Holy Spirit, Don Bosco schools, Lyceum schools, Eulogio ‘Amang’ Rodriguez Institute of Science & Technology, University of Cebu, Misamis University, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, and Holy Name University.
One of the best places to find the most egregious examples of poor grammar and basically anything devoid of human decency happens to be the comments section of YouTube videos, news articles, blog posts, or anything you can comment on. However, those who are inept at the English language may have one over those who pay attention to their grammar and spelling—passwords with poor grammar may be the toughest to crack according to this New Scientist article.
One of the most common methods of obtaining passwords is brute forcing, which goes through phrases or words in a dictionary, and uses programs and algorithms such as John the Ripper and Hashcat. While cracking programs make multiple guesses based on each word in a database, putting in “catscats” and “catsstac” as well as just the word “cats”, none of the programs make the jump to combine multiple words or phrases in a way that makes grammatical sense, like “Ihave3cats”, for instance. Better computers can blast through passwords in mere seconds—as many as 33 billion per second. However, they can’t crack human error, which is what Carnegie Mellon University researcher Ashwini Rao and her team plan to do.
“Our analysis of a set of 1434 passwords of 16 characters or more from a published study shows that more than 18% of users voluntarily chose passwords that contain grammatical structures. Each of these passwords contains a sequence of two or more dictionary words. An example is ‘abiggerbetterpassword’ that contains the grammatical structure ‘Determiner Adjective Adjective Noun’,” said Rao and her team. Some of the most common passwords? Names of spouses, children and birthdays seem to head the list, easy to remember things such as “qwerty” and “1234”, and there are even people who use the blatantly obvious “password”. Another finding of Rao’s is that longer passwords don’t necessarily make them stronger passwords. “Further, because of structure, the strength of the passphrase does not increase uniformly with the length—i.e. a longer passphrase is not necessarily stronger than a shorter passphrase.”
Looks like Sony’s ramping up their hi-end Z line of mobile devices, as the Japanese company has just announced their hi-end, Xperia Tablet Z. This particular beauty has the same iconic look as their Xperia Z smartphone and has all the latest hardware crammed into its pretty frame – a 10.1-inch, full HD display with the company’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2, Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 processor paired with 2GB of storage, 8.1-megapixel Exmor R camera and LTE. Amazingly enough, this particular tablet has managed to cram all of these drool-worthy hardware into a frame that’s only 6.9mm thick. While it’s a tech heavyweight, it’s not a literal one – the Xperia Tablet Z is only 495 grams. The best part is that the Xperia Tablet Z is waterproof and dustproof as well. No word on pricing or availability yet, though rest assured we’ll be updating this story once we get it.
Rob Cockerham, metric freak and owner of the website www.cockeyed.com, has lingering questions about just how much power his appliances used in real world terms. Being handy with a calculator and a Watt meter, he went all around his house documenting how much power each of his more or less common devices used, and calculating about how much each device costs to run, putting each entry in a handy photo format HERE. While the figures, when calculated are taken in USD and the power rates of his current California home, the raw figures make for a pretty good estimate of power use. An iPhone charger, apparently, uses all of 4 Watts. We’ve been using this at home, in concert with the Meralco power calculator to get an idea just how much our electronic devices are costing us. While they may be costing us money, yes, the thought of living without them is quite distressing for so many of us. Things like TVs, games consoles, all these things make up the very fabric of our everyday life and it’s pretty much impossible to imagine life where they’re not in our homes. Therefore, it’s so important to protect them and all our other personal belongings (furniture, fancy china plates that have been passed down etc) with a relevant life insurance policy, like the ones available at mercury insurance agency, should they should ever end up in unsavory hands. That being said, savings are always appreciated, so go check out his site, do a little math, and go take a look at how much you spend for each of your bright, shiny, plugged-in toys.
Alright Android faithful, we know you guys are all raring to download Temple Run 2. Some of you may even have thought that you found the app early in the Google Play store. Unfortunately, the team at Imangi Studios have not officially released the Android version of the game, something that unscrupulous app developers are taking advantage of. There’s a slew of fake Temple Run 2 apps currently in the Google Play store in the hopes of catching excited Temple Run players off their guard. These apps aren’t real, and installing them can seriously harm your Android device or worse, be used to steal your identity. Fake apps like this one should be avoided at all costs, and you should always exercise caution when downloading any app from Google Play.
While Samsung’s mobile offerings are pretty solid pieces of modern engineering, they’re pretty much rendered useless by nature’s most efficient gadget killer: water. Well, that shouldn’t be a problem for the upcoming Galaxy X Cover that was uncovered by SamMobile. According to the site, the new smartphone will be dust and water resistant, and will carry a 4-inch display with a WVGA resolution, 5-megapixel camera on the back (with a smaller, 0.3-megapixel camera on the front), 4GB internal storage that can beefed up with a microSD card, and Android 4.1 (or 4.2) on-board. No word on what the processor will be on this one, but from the specs, you can expect it to carry a dual-core processor, probably from Samsung’s own Exynos line. Though Sammy could theoretically put a quad-core processor on this thing, that’s pretty much out of the question due to the budget nature of the device. Expect to see this particular device unveiled during MWC next month.
If you’ve been hankering for some lightning fast LTE broadband but are unwilling to shell out large amounts of cash every month for the privilege, Smart has got your back. The telco has just unveiled their most affordable LTE plan yet – the Smart LTE Broadband Plan 1299. This LTE plan slots nicely into the entry level end of the pricing spectrum as far as LTE is concerned, and users now have the option of picking out the right LTE plan for them. Just like Smart’s other LTE broadband plans (LTE Broadband Plans 3500 and 1749), Smart’s LTE Broadband Plan 1299 is (theoretically) capable of hitting speeds of up to 42Mbps. Users will be enjoying free data until Jan. 31 2013, and will be capped at 5 GB a month after that grace period ends. Subscribers also have the option to avail of a Pocket WiFi device for a one-time fee of just P2,000.
Gaming website Computer and Video Games (CVG) reports that according to an anonymous source—”a senior games studio source working on an upcoming Sony game”—that Sony has plans to abandon the sixteen-year-old DualShock design and is developing a new PlayStation controller to be released together with the fourth PlayStation.
CVG’s source claims that they are trying out several technologies, including biometric sensors and touch-enabled screens, to implement in the new design. A second source whom CVG says is also connected to Sony told the site that PlayStation engineers are attempting to “emulate the same user interface philosophies as the PS Vita,” possibly referring to the touch panels on the Vita.
Plans of a new controller will be hopefully be unveiled with or before the release of the PlayStation 4. No formal announcement has been made as to when it will be released, but several sources have claimed that the fourth iteration of the gaming console will probably be out in late 2013 and that it will be called the PlayStation Orbis.
If you like your firearms, you will have no doubt heard of (the former) TDI’s KRISS. If you haven’t, we’ve talked about it here before, so you can go have a look. If you’re too lazy to hit Google for the info. The Vector, as it is now called, is basically a firearm that takes the internal design of the conventional SMG and fiddles with it to divert some of the recoil forces downwards instead of back and up. Apart from that, it’s got a nifty design and fires the tried and tested .45 ACP. Fans of the Discovery Channel show Future Weapons may have seen in action, and if you’re anything like me, wanted one instantly (completely off-point, Pol Medina Jr also drew this in one of his comic strips some time ago. He knows his stuff.)
In this year’s Shot Show, Kriss (formerly knows as TDI) announced the impending availability of the Vector in .22LR. The Firearm Blog got a quick scoop on it, but it is great news for those who want one but can’t justify ever owning one due to the price and pesky restrictions. Yes, we know we’re not in the same country as they, but we’re quite certain more than a few of these will make their way over to our shores. No word on pricing and availability as of now, but rest assured we’ll be following this little bad boy very closely.
A year has passed since the takedown of the one of the largest file sharing sites in the world – MegaUpload. Ever since then, Kim Dotcom, the head of the company, has been looking for a way to resurrect the site – and today, he has unveiled the service to select members of the media. It seems that Kim has learned from the mistakes of the past, and has made the new site, simply named Mega – stronger, faster and almost invulnerable to copyright claims.
At first glance, Mega resembles other similar cloud services like Dropbox, for example. When you upload anything up to Mega’s servers, your data is encrypted in your client first, which means whatever you’re uploading will be encrypted in your PC before being sent off the Mega’s servers. Once there, you can send a download link to anyone you want, although it seems that you will still have to hand them your encryption key for them to actually access your file, either though the file sharing URL that you can include with your file, or through other, secure means.
This file encryption and decryption is what makes Mega infinitely more resistant to copyright takedown than it’s previous incarnation. Mega’s servers will only be hosting encrypted files – there is no way for them to know what’s in your file. Even if the authorities asked for a particular file (if it’s a copyright takedown, for example) they will only be handing over an encrypted file, encrypted with an 2048-bit RSA key. No way for anyone (including the feds) to open it without a lot of effort (and a buttload of computing time).
Early reviews from sites that were granted access seems positive, and it seems that the UI of the service is pretty easy to use compared to its previous incarnation. Just like before, Mega will have different user tiers – free users are granted 50GB of storage space, while people willing to pay €9.99 a month get 500GB of storage a month and 1TB bandwith. People who fork over €19.99 a month get 2TB of storage and 4TB of bandwith while high rollers who fork over €29.99 a month get 4TB of storage per month with 8TB of bandwith.
You can check out the site at http://kim.com/mega/#/ if you want to see it for yourself.
If you haven’t noticed, 2013 is the year of 5-inch, full HD smartphones, and if you’re a manufacturer that actually wants to make a splash in the market, you will have to bust out the goods. LG’s the latest manufacturer to enter the 5-inch, full HD bandwagon craze if this leaked image from Engadget is any indication. Apparently the Korean company will be making a larger, 5-inch version of their Optimus G in the form of the Optimus G Pro. The Pro version of the Optimus G seems to carry impressive hardware to go up against against the offerings of its rivals – a full HD 5-inch display, 1.7Ghz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor with 2GB RAM, 32GB of storage, LTE capabilities and large 3,000mAh battery.
The Optimus G Pro has a 13-megapixel camera crammed inside with a 2.4-megapixel front facing camera. There’s also Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) on board, unfortunately right now it seems that the Optimus G Pro will only be heading to Japanese markets (for now anyway).
You’d think that given the exorbitant price for LG’s monstrous 84-inch, 84LM9600 Ultra HD TV (it’s currently priced at Php 849,990) that there’d be few people wanting to drop money on it, spending their cash instead for a nice, mid-range car. But that’s not the case in Korea LG says. The ChosunBiz has quoted LG execs saying that there are already 300 homes in their home country that has the monstrous TV set. LG hasn’t released figures for local owners in the Philippines, but an LG exec did tell us during the launch that there were already buyers lined up for their TV set. Hopefully the next wave of Ultra HD TVs in the market will have a saner price point, but we’re pretty sure there will still be buyers for those things even if they’re still as expensive as the 84LM9600.
If you got left out of Santa’s gift list, don’t worry, Globe is here to make sure you don’t spent 2013 empty-handed. Get yourself a BlackBerry Curve 9220 for free, with Globe’s My Super Plan 299 plus a PHP 99 BlackBerry Chat subscription. For those unwilling to to the math, that means the BlackBerry Curve 9220 can be yours for just 398 a month. The plan comes with PHP299 worth of consumable calls and texts, and one call and text freebie (which you can swap every month, if you so choose), as well as unlimited use of BlackBerry Messenger.
My Super Plan 299 is an all-consumable plan that postpaid subscribers to make 46 minutes of Globe/TM calls, or 40 minutes of calls to other networks, or 16 minutes of international calls, or 299 text messages. Subscribers can boost their plans with unlimited services valid for 30 days for as low as P349 monthly.
“We see that there is still a huge demand for BlackBerry devices in the Philippines, and we’re happy to offer the BlackBerry Curve 9220, one of the most affordable BlackBerry smartphones, at a huge discount of P4,800, to bring the amazing BlackBerry experience to more users in the country,” said Martha Sazon, Head of Globe Postpaid.
BlackBerry users have access to thousands of apps on BlackBerry’s App World, as well as stay connected to other BlackBerry users via BlackBerry Messenger. If you need a new phone, and want to finally take matters into your own hands, head over to your nearest Globe store and get yours now.
Fuji Xerox Printer Channel Country Sales Manager Candice Gino-gino, General Manager for the Philippines and HongKong Lee Chung, and MSI-ECS President and CEO Jimmy Go answer questions from the media.
Earlier today at the Palladium Club, New World Hotel in Makati City, we were able to listen to the key executives of the Fuji Xerox Printer Channel talk about the direction they will take in the year 2013, as well as a fresh set of printer models.
Lee Chung, Fuji Xerox Printer Channel General Manager for the Philippines and HongKong, shared with us that this year, the primary focus will be on the commercial market, particularly government and education sectors. He said that there are plans to reach out to the retail market, but that these plans remain a second priority.
“Our revenue grew by 47%—that’s a huge growth. I think that we are stepping into the right direction,” answered Lee Chung when we asked how optimistic he is with the success of the Printer Channel in the Philippine market. “I see a lot of potential, and I think we can even expect a double digit growth each year,” he added.
Fuji Xerox Printer Channel Country Sales Manager Candice Gino-gino showcases the four new printer models—(L-R) the DocuPrint C5005 d, DocuPrint P355 d/db, DocuPrint M255 z, and the DocuPrint P255 dw.
The four printer models that were unveiled at the event were the DocuPrint M255 z, DocuPrint P355 d/db, DocuPrint 255 dw, and the DocuPrint C5005 d.
The DocuPrint M225 z is a multifunction monochrome A4 desktop printer that carries the S-LED (Self-scanning Light Emitting Diode) technology. It has a printing speed of 30 pages per minute (ppm) with a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. It can print, copy, scan and fax, and also features wireless networking and automatic duplex.
The DocuPrint P355 d (and the P355 db) is a A4 monochrome laser printer that can print 35ppm with a resolution of up to 1200×1200 dpi. Fuji Xerox claims that these models are ideal for the office. When it comes to personal printers, however, they recommend the third model in the line-up—the DocuPrint 255 dw A4 monochrome desktop printer, which can print 30ppm at 1200×1200 dpi and wields the S-LED technology.
The star in the new line-up is the DocuPrint C5005 d—an A3 color office printer that prints a whopping 55ppm in black and white, and 50ppm in color. It also features the S-LED technology.
“These newly released products provide cost-effective, high-quality and efficient printing ideal for small-to-medium businesses and networked small groups who require superior print quality whilst saving money, energy and the environment,” said Lee Chung.
MSI-ECS Philippines is the official distributor of Fuji Xerox printers.
The future is mobile. As Yahoo’s new CEO, Marissa Mayer puts it, the future is mobile, mobile, mobile. And to truly be effective in the mobile space, you need to be able to know your customers’ interests and locations. Entertainment Gateway Group understands this fully (naturally, because they are a subsidiary of Globe) and has developed their Location Based Service platform. The new platform allows brands to interact with their customer base in an important and meaningful way – through mobile.
EGG says that with their new platform, they can tap into their customers’ interests. They believe that tailored messages and ads to customers are more effective than a shotgun approach to the consumer. For example, a surfing ad sent to a person who actually enjoys surfing is more likely to respond, rather than one sent to someone who doesn’t even surf. Alongside personalized text messages, EGG is also extolling the virtues of in-app advertising and AR-type executions for ads – all of which requires mobile devices to work.
It makes sense. Just think about it – there are currently 90 million mobile devices in the Philippines today. While only 15% of them right now are smartphones and 50% are feature phones (with 35% being legacy devices), the massive growth of smartphones (and the low-cost devices being pushed by a number of manufacturers) will render that particular concern moot.
Of course, this kind of tailored data does have its downside. The most obvious one is the one of privacy. EGG representatives has assured us though that there will be no identifiable information – your personal information will be going through a couple of filters to ensure your privacy, and the internal database will only have a unique identifier that can never be tied in to your name or personal number. When EGG starts sometime in March or May, Globe subscribers will be getting a SMS notice for you to be able to opt out of the service if you don’t want to.
