by Jovie Cabais | Apr 25, 2010 | Tech Updates
Perhaps the most anticipated event of the year for Filipinos is the first election with automated ballot counting. Even if there are concerns aired about the possible failure of elections due to system breakdown, the Philippines needs to take the risk and finally implement this sytem. There has been too much manipulation happening in the past elections with manual counting which also takes too long and the only way to eliminate that is an automated counting. A successful implementation of the automated counting would be a triumph of the IT industry which provided the technology necessary for such a project. However, no system is perfect so we should expect some issues but let us hope that these issues would not affect the integrity of the elections. Announcement: The Bohol Table Tennis Club is announcing its 2nd BOHOL TABLE TENNIS OPEN TOURNAMENT this coming April 28, 2010 at the K of c Recreation Center. Registration starts at 8:30 in the morning. See you there! Share...
by Jovie Cabais | Apr 25, 2010 | Tech Updates
As a business organization grows beyond a few people, inefficiencies when communicating and collaborating with each other become more apparent. As the organization is divided into departments, the need for an efficient and cost effective tools for communication and collaboration becomes more needed. This is where Google Apps come in. Google Apps is a collection of various tools like email, shared documents and calendars, and instant messaging in one unified system. It allows the business organization to use its own domain name for the email addresses giving it more prestige and credibility when communicating with someone from outside the company. And using the same email accounts, the employees may send instant messages or chat to each other and the resulting conversation is automatically added to the user’s inbox for future reference. Shared documents is a fairly new concept and the idea behind this is that a document can be edited in real time by more than one person. All persons authorized to edit the shared document will always see the latest version of each document. This allows users to edit a document without needing to attach the document in an email for review. And perhaps the best thing about shared documents is that everyone sees the latest version everytime. Users can share and collaborate on making a draft of text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It is not recommended though to put elaborate formatting on Google Apps because it would require higher bandwidth overall, especially that in Bohol, not all users have access to high bandwidth broadband service. When using Google Apps, users should focus on the content and when the draft is already...
by Jovie Cabais | Apr 18, 2010 | Tech Updates
The latest mobile device to hit the market and will potentially make a huge impact is the Apple iPAD. It is perhaps the most sensible attempt to provide mobility of today’s tech savvy individuals. It packs the essential applications to help stay connected with work and family in a beautifully designed device. Touch screen and LED-backlit IPS display allows for unprecedented ease of navigation using just your fingers and superior display quality. It also includes a virtual keyboard on the screen allowing you to type emails and documents quickly and on the go. The iPAD includes WiFi connectivity and a version with 3G capability is also coming up. The 3G version would allow the user the ultimate in mobility. At 1.6 pounds (1.5 for non-3G) and at 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches, the iPAD 3G would be easy to bring along. And not only that, it would be easy to use for jotting down notes, sending a quick email or reviewing your favorite websites even when you are literally mobile. For more information on the iPAD, visit http://www.apple.com/ipad. [use this picture: http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1683/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/ Images/ipad/img/product-wifi.jpg] Sources: http://www.apple.com/ipad, CNN.com Share...
by Jovie Cabais | Apr 18, 2010 | Tech Updates
The online classified ads website for Bohol, www.boholclassifiedads.com, currently features its Jobs section and encourages companies around Bohol to also utilize this free classified ads service for its Job hiring ads. More and more people search on the web for job openings and complementing the traditional ads with online ads allow for maximum exposure. Several companies have already utilized Bohol Classified Ads website to post job hiring, product or service promos and even sell real estate. Because the website is focused on Bohol, the advertiser gets exposure to a specific target market compared to online advertising on other online ads that are too big for certain ads. To help increase the popularity of the website, Auza.Net, the owner of the website, will do offline promotions also, like distribution of leaflets, putting up streamers, text blasts and other means. In addition, the company will publish on this page one ad per week for free. Companies who wish to gain maximum exposure may pay for a reasonable fee to be added as a featured ad or occupy a prime space on the website and have their ad displayed in a prominent section of a page. The website is also great for promotions. Share...
by Jovie Cabais | Apr 11, 2010 | Tech Updates
In a matter of 29 days from today, the Philippines will finally implement an automated counting system for the national and local elections. May 10, 2010 will be a day when our country will finally show the world that we are done with the error-prone and easy to manipulate manual counting of ballots. Automated counting removes several opportunities to manipulate the election results at the precinct level but it also makes some worry that cheating can be automated, and that a scenario causing a failure of elections like continuous power outage would occur forcing us to go into a constitutional dilemma of having no replacement to officials who will end their terms this year. While it is easy to imagine scenarios of doom, these are really not that easy to do. In order for the automated counting to fail, any, or the combination of the following scenarios would have to be created: Total Power Failure throughout the country. Total power outage that lasts several days or weeks, causing total failure of all communication systems and draining all the battery power that comes with the counting machines. This power outage will have to start well before election day in order to ensure a failure of elections as well as a failure of everything else that requires electricity. Diesel and gasoline supply cut-off several days before the power outage starts to ensure all backup power systems will run out of fuel. If this total power failure happens, the elections probably won’t matter. All telecoms systems are jammed. Someone shells out a significant amount money to buy enough jamming machines to jam...
