Archive for the 'tech stuffs' Category

Firefox Download Day 2008

Published on June 17, 2008 in tech stuffs. 1 Comment

Since I’m an avid Firefox user, I already pledge to download Firefox 3 during Download Day to set the Guinness World Record for Most Software Downloaded in 24 Hours. The official date for the launch of Firefox 3 is June 17, 2008 Tuesday 10:00 AM San Francisco time (that’s around 1:00 am Wednesday Manila time).

Download Day 2008

The secret lives of blogs

Published on April 26, 2008 in tech stuffs. 0 Comments

8 hours ago, Wordpress 2.5.1 has been released. Ofcourse it  includes a number of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and one very important security fix.

One highlight you can read upon visiting the page is about the SECRET_KEY.  It is a new constant allowed in the wp-config.php file since WP2.5 which is meant to introduce a little permanent randomness into the cryptographic functions used for cookies in WordPress.

To get one, just visit this link and you will get a randomly generated unique key for every page load. Just grab one and add it to your config file to get that additional security.

Microblogging Websites

Published on March 30, 2008 in tech stuffs. 20 Comments

Microblogging is currently a big hit to bloggers and other web users. Its like a mini blog that lets you post an update for around 140 characters more or less. Updates can be done via the web, IMs, SMS, email, and desktop clients. The usual feature is allowing you to see and reply to other’s posts and let them see and reply to yours too. Add on features would be posting pictures, videos, sounds and other stuffs aside from the usual text post. Features vary depending on which microblogging platform you’ll be using. The current most popular one is Twitter followed by Jaiku and Pownce.

I’m a Twitter user and has been an avid twitterer since then. I even put up my own Twitter blog and directory for my fellow Filipinos. Twitter has been the most popular microblogging platform and with its popularity and success a lot of microblogs popped out from every corner of the web. They described themselves as twitter-likes, twitter clones, or twitter plus more. Some offer the same service as Twitter’s and some offers even more features. So i guess its up to the users on which microblogging platform they’ll want to use probably depending on the design, the features, and the people. As for me, though i already tried to sign up on some just to check them out, Twitter will still be my main microblog. I’m still very satisfied with it and since i started with it already, it will be very hard to leave everything behind. Besides, i’m already used to calling my microblog updates as tweets/twits ;)

Here’s a list of some microblogging platforms out there (in English content). You may sign up and start trying out their service though there’s some that require invites to get an account.

…continue reading

Gmail, Hotmail, or YahooMail?

Published on February 24, 2008 in tech stuffs. 4 Comments

I have recently read a lot of reviews/post comparing the three email giants with all the upgrades these three went through in the past months. I do have an account on all of them but i primarily use YahooMail and Hotmail. Anyway, here’s my user point of view on the three:

 :: speed
gmail = 3
yahoomail = 1
hotmail = 2

I usually experience YahooMail being the one to load faster. Gmail and Hotmail always take time to load. This is based on my experience at home and at work.

:: ads
gmail  = 1
yahoomail = 2
hotmail =  3

Opening my mailbox on my browser, i could say that Gmail has barely any intrusive ads. I hate YahooMail ads on the frontpage and the one that comes in the signature while in Hotmail, i hate the huge banner add ontop of the page and the one on the frontpage too.

:: user friendliness
gmail = 3
yahoomail = 1
hotmail = 2

On matters of organizing my emails and other content, i find it easiest to do in YahooMail, very fast and hassle-free. Hotmail and Gmail comes next.

:: layout/look
gmail  = 3
yahoomail = 2
hotmail = 1

Taking a look at the present layout/look and how you can manage it, i like Hotmail best. The look is so nice, elegant and clean and its very manageable. YahooMail looks fine while i think Gmail needs some improvement coz it looks  dull for me.

:: security
gmail  = 3
yahoomail = 2
hotmail = 1

When it comes to spam protection, i observed that Hotmail works best based on my own experience. I barely get a spam/junk mail on my inbox with Hotmail though sometimes i can’t figure out why some emails coming from my safe list sender are still goingto my junk folder. In Gmail and Yahoomail, i still get spam/junk mail on my inbox daily and most of the time they are the same spam/junk mail i get from time to time.

:: storage space
gmail  = 2
yahoomail = 1
hotmail = 3

Currently, Gmail offers 6GB+ of space while Hotmail offers 5GB and then YahooMail offers a virtually unlimited amount of space. Hmmm.. but anyway it doesn’t matter much to me since i’m used to emptying my trash often coz i like keeping my mailbox clean :)

In summary…

Gmail - I barely use my gmail account coz i find the layout dull and boring plus there isnt much to do inside the mailbox and i dont feel comfortable using it.

YahooMail - This the one i use primarily. I love YahooMessenger thats integrated within the mailbox. I feel comfortable browsing around since everything is easy and fast to use and the layout is fine.

Hotmail - I love its elegant, clean look and easy way to change the layout color. What i love about Hotmail is the multiple email account integration that allows me to open my other hotmail account without having to logout and login from one account to another. Its pretty helpful and convenient.

The $25++ chance of a blog time

Published on February 5, 2008 in tech stuffs. 4 Comments

This all started while i was checking my other account in twitter when i suddenly saw someone twitting about actually winning $30 through a blog contest. Honestly, i never believed in such contests and with all the million blogs out there, i just don’t see myself making money through my blog and even winning some with blog contests. As you can see my blog is pretty darn simple and as of now i really don’t know if i’ll be taking part in the make-money-with-your-blog craze which is a hit among bloggers. I started by signing up with one online company but i never really participated yet. So, this is gonna be my first review of someone else’s blog for the sake of getting a chance to win at least $25 which i doubt would be quite impossible as i’m a very unlucky person when it comes to raffle draws..hehe.

…continue reading

searching my blog and myself on google

Published on January 27, 2008 in -PusangKalye-, Me, Myself, and I and tech stuffs. 5 Comments

Funny that the thought of searching my blog on google hit me. So during break at the office last friday, i searched these three words on google: “pusangkalye”, “pusang kalye”, and “kuting” and i discovered a lot of things….

1. My domain (pusangkalye.com) showed on the top list of course.
2. I saw websites, blogs, forums where i posted something using my pusangkalye or kuting name and my link back.
3. There are lots of other people who uses kuting and pusangkalye too aside from me.
4. I saw some people using some avatars in forums thats links from some images in m blog. (hmmm makes me think of disabling hot linking already…hmmm)
5. I found some sites where there has been some reviews of my blog which i didn’t know of. An example is at stumbleupon where some users posted a nice review about a certain post i wrote on my blog. [link1] [link2]
6. and a lot more…

I also tried searching my name in google in different variations and here’s what i found:

1. A lot of other people having same names
2. Old websites i visited or signed up for using old usernames
3. An article about me in a local newspaper company website (really.. and i never knew about it until the time i saw it on google) . Well okay its not all about me but i’m included in it. There’s this once paragraph that tells about me and its love related. haha.

So there, anyone else tried doing the same thing? found something shocking or interesting? its really worth a try. i’m sure you’ll discover a lot of things :)

ranting about PDLT MyDSL

Published on December 24, 2007 in tech stuffs. 7 Comments

Damn it! Sorry but i can’t help but curse PLDT MyDSL now, a few hours before Christmas eve. I can’t believe what i just saw on our telephone bill! Sheesh its been only a month now since i subscribe to the PLDT MyDSL Xperience plan. I had no choice. I’m sick of dial-up and i badly needed a faster speed. I tried Globe broadband, ZPDEE, BayanDSL but my area wasn’t covered yet so i had no choice but to have PLDT MyDSL. So i gave in and since day 1 here are my rants:

1. At first i got pissed with the technicians who broke my computer. They accidentally installed a driver from my mobo which conflicts with my video card and so i had the dreaded black screen and had to reformat my pc right then and there. Then they told me my mobo ethernet port has a problem and was trying to sell me a P800 lan card. Do they think i’m stupid? first, my mobo port is working, the driver isn’t just installed. Second, a 800 pesos lan card? hell with them.

2. Since day 1, its either after 1 hour, or after 3 hours, and lucky if i its after 7 hours that i encounter the “dead connection” problem where my connection suddenly dies but you’ll see that the connection says “connected” and i have to restart my computer to have it working again. So much hassle specially since i can’t leave a download working overnight.

3. The worst thing ever - the bill! I was expecting the P999 bill and the 1k modem fee and other little fee on my first month of subscription. But what surprised me when i read our telephone bill for November-December is this “MyDSL period covered: 12/01/2007 - 13/01/2008 P10,732.29″- now where the hell did they get this ?!?!?!?!?!!

Surely.. if there was any other choice for a DSL connection, i would never ever have chosen PLDT!!!

CHIKKA 2.0 X-Messenger

Published on December 18, 2007 in tech stuffs. 1 Comment

Presenting CHIKKA’s new look…
chikkanew.JPG
Recently when the alpha version of CHIKKA web messenger was released i tried using it when i’m at work since the client is block on our office from making a connection. The alpha version looked really cool and works fine except sometimes it hangs on my firefox browser and i’m not sure if its a bug of CHIKKA or FireFox. Then just today, i saw that there’s a new CHIKKA web messenger and its the CHIKKA v2.0 called X-Messenger and looks way much cooler and works better than the previous release. Though it doesn’t have much features yet and only have the usual CHIKKA texting and the inter-IM connectivity. But hey, its really nice, easy, and cool to use :)

…continue reading

PinoyTwitters

Published on December 10, 2007 in tech stuffs. 0 Comments

I just found out about Twitter a month ago and i really got into it. I don’t know but all of a sudden i had this Twitter Fever. haha. And so, i put up PinoyTwitters to satisfy my craving for more twits. If before i enjoyed spending my time browsing forums and reading blogs, this time i find myself reading what others has to twit about and have myself twit too. I think its really fun and well it seems like a stress reliever for me. Anytime i wanted to say something, i just twit it up not really caring if anyone would be reading it and yet if someone replies its feels nice. I twit on my computer or on my phone. There’s lotsa ways to do it. I just usually do it the fastest or the easiest or the cheapest way .. depending on the situation :)

Follow me and i’ll follow you back: Kuting

Follow & be followed by PinoyTwitters

Instant Messengers I Like

Published on December 1, 2007 in tech stuffs. 1 Comment

I never fail to use instant messengers. Its already part of my social and internet life. I do have the Yahoo messenger and Chikka messenger installed on my computer and the YehBA* messenger on my phone. I never liked using softwares that integrates most IMs because i prefer using them alone and being able to use their full features. I use these IMs most of the time and its good that most of my contacts are accessible already incase i’m using only one. When i’m at the office, we only use MSN there. Its good that i can access my YM thru MSN, inside my YahooMail, thru Yahoo WebMessenger, thru Chikka WebMessenger or thru YehBA* on my phone. I don’t have to install YM and Chikka anymore on my office PC. I can also now just go to Chikka webmessenger if i want to send free sms on any computer while i can chat on YehBA* and still be able to connect to my YM and MSN with it on my phone when i’m on the go.

I like the new Chikka web messenger. I tried it and well i’m very much impressed. I like its layout, looks pretty cool to me and its ad-free. It is feature-packed allowing you to send free sms (no need to install the Chikka client on your PC!), download free stuffs for your mobile and connect to your IMs like yahoo, msn, aim, gtalk, icq and more to come.. all in your browser! I’ve been using Chikka before to send free sms to my friends when i’m on the computer. Its been very useful to me and i just love it. And now with the new chikka web messenger, i don’t need to have it installed on the PC, i can now use chikka on any computer. I can do my usual texting plus chat on my other IMs too with it :)  See my post on Chikka X-Messenger.

chikkaweb

But if you are a an avid Yahoo Messenger user like me and want most of YM’s features especially the part where you can chat with your MSN friends through YM, you can use the Yahoo web messenger. It has most if not all the features of the regular YM client. It has a simple and easy to use layout. Just don’t mind the huge banner ad on the side.And if you still prefer the YM client, check out the new YM version 9. Though in beta stage, i tried it already and i could say i love YM still :)

ymweb

For those who prefer chatting on their phone, i would recommend using YehBA* IM. Its easy and cheaper to use than any other mobile IMs out there. Plus its more Filipino-oriented that’s why i feel at home using it, meeting fellow Filipinos on the chatrooms and allows free/cheap international texting. It also has some cool mobile services which you can use. I’ve been using this for two months and i really love it. I can chat, text, and even connect to my YM and MSN messenger accounts in it. I can also update my Twitter with it. Its cheap and easy to use and very useful especially when i’m on the go.

yb