What’s with Acobay?

Have you heard of Acobay? Before you think it’s just another one of those dozens of social networking sites popping up where you can find your old schoolmate… well it’s not.

Acobay is a consumer network where you can connect, share or show off just about anything to other members. So what’s so cool about that? Well if you want to share this cool restaurant you’ve been to or if you want to know what other people think of the mobile phone or the laptop you’re planning to buy, Acobay is the right place to do it.

You get connected not really based on your friends but based on your interest in food, books, gadgets, movies, etc. Learn or share or just plain show off, Acobay’s the community for you. You can even get connected with other bloggers on Acobay.

Is AddThis slowing down your site?

I’m contemplating of removing the Bookmark button by Addthis from my site. If you don’t know what this button is for, it allows each of your post to be bookmarked easily via Digg, StumbleUpon, Facebook or whatever social networking site you’re into.

But the question is, have you ever really used such button? I haven’t. I’ve been blogging for over a year and visiting blogs for a longer time but I haven’t used this Bookmark feature yet. I just thought it would be nifty to have it on my site when I started this blog.

Right now with all those javascripts (izearanks arrghh) loading at the start, my site’s loading time is slowing down so I’m thinking of removing unneeded scripts. I also notice (not only on my blog) that it takes a bit longer to communicate with www.addthis.com that’s why I’m ready to cut this one out. Should I?

Ellen Degeneres calls out to Rin on the Rox

Have you guys heard of Rin on the Rox? They’re this two lovely Filipina girls named Erin and Roxanne who sings really good R&B, usually from the bathroom, and posts them in YouTube. Well Ellen recently showed one of their video on her show and is calling out to them to come over.

Here’s them singing Shontelle’s “T-shirt”.

Their rendition of Beyonce’s “If I Were A Boy” has already received more than 2 million hits. Check out or subscribe to their YouTube channel (hiphoprox) to see more of their videos.

YouTube is really becoming a popular platform to showcase your talent and be discovered (Charice and Arnel for example). The two who also wants to venture into the music scene is also doing that and it seems that it’s paying off.

They should’ve auditioned for American Idol. They had what it takes (looks, voice and fan support) to really go a long way. Rox looked like a young Paula Abdul in some angle. Hehehe.

Great job girls! We’ll be waiting for you on Ellen.

Trojan entered the world of Macs

It had to happen eventually. The reason why people chose Mac is because it’s relatively safe from virus and trojan attacks. It’s not really because the platform is so secure, it’s just that PC is more popular that’s why virus makers don’t focus much on the Mac.

Well, there’s a serious threat to Mac users as security firm Intego reported that already 20,000 machines have been infected by a malware that came from BitTorrent. The iServices.A is a malware disguised as a copy of iWork 09. When installed, the malware gains administrative rights and connects to remote servers over the Internet for more instructions. Hackers can install additional malwares or steal information from your machine.

So if you’re a Mac user, it’s time to be paranoid about your machine. Install anti-virus, anti-malware and don’t just run any programs you download from the internet.

Say “Hello” to the Hello Kitty keyboard

Great! It seems that Hello Kitty is really invading everything it can stick its face on. But if you’re a Hello Kitty fanatic then you’d probably want to get yourself this Hello Kitty ultrathin keyboard.Too bad the alphabet keys are imprinted with Japanese characters but if you can type in the dark then you won’t have any problem. Besides, you gotta love the hearts on those “F” keys and the Hello Kitty face on the “Enter” key.

If you already have a life-size Hello Kitty statue then the price of $106.40 on this one won’t bother you much.

Nikon Media Port brings portable video to a different level

Gone will be the days when strangers would look over your shoulder whenever you’re watching a video on a public place.

The Nikon Media Port is a headset that’s also an audio/video player. You don’t plug this into your media player but the player is already built in. It has an adjustable eyepiece that can simulate a 50-inch TV screen that is viewed from about 10 feet away. It also has a disk capacity of up to 8 GB that can be accessed via USB or WiFi to load your mp3, images or videos.

It runs via 2 rechargeable AA batteries that can give you up to 2 hours of uninterrupted video playback. It is compact and weighs less than a pound. This baby is only released in Japan with a price tag of $650 to $750.

It would be sweet to have this with you while waiting for your flight or if you don’t like the in-flight movie. Just bring some spare batteries and you’re all set.

A Virtual Private Server might just be the right hosting plan for you

Most self-hosted sites are on a shared hosting plan. Mine does. But a frequent problem I encounter is that when there’s a faulty site hogging resources from the same server I’m on, it will crash the whole server down along with all the sites on it.

To avoid down times, I would have to switch to a dedicated server. But the problem with that is it’s a bit expensive and usually they include a lot of resources that even a medium blog couldn't consume.

RapidSwitch just launched a service that’s in-between shared hosting and dedicated server, the virtual private servers. With the VPS, you won’t have to worry about other blogs since you’re the only one on that server. You also don’t have to worry about excess resources since your VPS is just a segment of a physical server so you’re limited based on your plan.

Their introductory price for the basic package is only £1 per month then £7.95/month starting this April. This will give you a 15GB HD and a whopping 150GB bandwidth. Perfect for medium-sized sites that can’t afford to be unavailable frequently.

Miniaturize your photos with TiltShift Maker

If you don’t have the Photoshop prowess to create a miniaturized-effect for your photos, TiltShift Maker can be just what you’re looking for.

TiltShift Maker is a free online service that allows you to upload photos and apply an effect to make it look miniaturized. Check out a couple of my pictures that I used:

It doesn’t work well for all photos but here are a few guidelines for better results:

• Photos taken from the top or has a downward view works pretty well
• Choose a photo that doesn’t focus on a single subject
• Avoid the sky if possible as well as people

Don’t get frustrated if you can’t get it right. I’ve used about 20 photos before I got a couple of good looking ones.

Would you really use a Scrabble keyboard?

If you’re a Scrabble enthusiast then you would definitely want a Scrabble keyboard.

This wooden and aluminum USB keyboard is made mostly of the real Scrabble tiles for its keys. Well all the letters that is. Although it’s not really ergonomically designed (ouch to the wrist), the keyboard is complete with backlights for the Num, Caps and Scroll lock keys.

These keyboards are made to order from Datamancer.net so don’t expect them selling off the shelves. It would be cool if there’s also a marble tiles version.

Google Adsense earnings

Most bloggers have Google Adsense on their site to earn a bit of extra income. But would you say that you’ve been really earning from it?

Here’s my screenshot so far:

So how did I do it? It’s pretty easy actually, just head to Google Adsense Generator and create your own screenshot. Hahaha.

On a more serious note, my Google ads are not that effective for me. I’m just earning pennies per day.

Goodbye Circuit City

November of last year, one of the biggest consumer electronics chain in the US, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy protection and closed more than a hundred stores.

However, they failed to stay afloat and recently announced that it will close all 567 remaining stores in North America and liquidate its merchandise. There’s still hope though if Golden Gate Capital would buy the company and restructure it to be more of an online business with only a few physical stores. But they say that chances for a buyout are slim.

This is bad for the thousands of employees of Circuit City. For the consumers, it’s time to redeem those gift cards. There will be a fire sale going to happen in the nearby future as well but remember not to expect much in terms of warranties.

[CNN Money]

Video clips for your mobile phone

You find yourself having long commutes everyday riding the bus or the subway. Playing games on your mobile phone can be quite dizzying and you had enough of your mp3’s for a while. How about watching video clips then?

mSnack is an online service where you could have short video clips (no more than 30 seconds) sent to your phone via your carrier. You select a channel or channels ranging from Anime Video Clips, Sports Video Clips and even Raider Video Clips among others. It’s like having a customized YouTube based on your video preference on your mobile phone without an internet connection.

To start receiving the video clips, simply choose a video channel (you can select multiple channels), enter your mobile number and carrier (information will remain private) then mSnack will send you a text message with a PIN to confirm your number. Activate your order then you’re all set to receive video snacks on your phone. Don’t worry you still have the option to cancel your videos.

You won’t be charged anything by mSnack for using their services but they warn you that your carrier might. So better consult your mobile service carrier for rates when receiving multimedia messages.

Charice to sing at Obama’s Inauguration Ball

Here’s another story for us Filipinos to be proud about. Our very own Charice will sing at president-elect Barack Obama’s pre-Inauguration Ball on January 18.

Last Saturday at a local noontime show Wowowee, Charice confirmed that she will indeed be singing at Obama’s Inauguration Ball on the 18th. Oprah who is a close friend and supporter of the Obama’s, pushed that Charice be included in the list of star-studded performers for the ball. She’ll be performing along with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, James Taylor, Beyonce, U2, Stevie Wonder and a lot more.

The pre-inauguration ball called “We are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” will be covered by HBO.

Filipina executive chef remains in White House

Did you know that the White House executive chef is a Filipina? Cristeta Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Manila who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Food Technology from UP.

She was named executive chef to the White House by Laura Bush in 2005 after being the assistant chef since 1995. But just last January 9, Michelle Obama announced that Cristeta would stay on as the executive chef during Barack Obama’s term.

Hooray! We’re proud of you Cris!

Macbook Wheel? Nope, it’s not true

If you’ve been hearing news about a new type of Macbook that foregoes the keyboard and just uses a simple giant wheel, don’t believe it. When I saw the video from a friend’s blog, I know there’s something fishy about it.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

“Everything is just a hundred clicks away.” ROFL!

Onion News Network did a really wonderful job on this spoof! There’s no way Apple is gonna make a gigantic iPod and call it a Macbook. :P

Psyko Audio Labs introduces its 5.1 PC gaming headphone

If you don’t want to set up a surround sound system in your room then a 5.1 surround sound headphone is the next best thing. You can even bring it into LAN parties so you could really immerse yourself in the game when you hear where all sounds are coming from.

Psyko Audio Labs revealed its 5.1 PC headset at the CES 2009 which I think is a necessary equipment for a hardcore PC gamer. Here’s how it work:

The speakers are placed above your head in the bridge of the headphone.

Psyko places every speaker in a precise location to create the correct timing and volume differences to both ears just like sounds in a room around you, the resulting audio sounds completely natural. The waveguides direct all the front sounds to flow past the front of your ears, and all the rear sounds to flow past the rear of your ears just like how sounds interact with your ears in a room system.

That’s pretty impressive! Now you can listen to 3D surround sound without waking up the whole house. Right now, there’s only a PC headphone but they’re coming up with a version for gaming consoles.

Oh yeah, this piece of equipment will cost you $300 when it ships in Mid-April.

New all-in-one PC from MSI, the Wind NetOn

I told you all-in-one PC is gonna be the future of desktop PC. Apple’s iMac should have companions for PC users. Also at CES 2009, MSI showcased it’s new line of all-in-one PC’s, the Wind NetOn AE series.

The MSI Wind NetOn comes in 16”, 19” and 22” display versions with the smaller displays having a touch-screen interface on its Windows XP.

The 19” AE1901 will be having a dual-core Intel Atom processor and they claim that it consumes only 20% power than that of normal PC’s.

The 22” AE2203 is geared towards entertainment with its full HD support, 16:9 1920 x 1080 resolution and Blu Ray Drive. It also sports an Intel Core2Duo to run Windows Vista.

MSI really did well creating different models to suit all types of consumers. Let’s just wait for more detailed specs and pricing in a few weeks.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600, the future of our desktop PC

More people are now gearing towards laptops and netbooks for their home PC. Don’t get me wrong though, there are still loads of people preferring desktop PC’s because of its customizability and upgradability. Mostly are gamers and multimedia enthusiasts or those who just don’t want to veer away from traditional PC’s.

As more and more people feel that everything that they need is on the internet, there’s really hardly any need for powerful machines.

All-in-one Desktop PC’s are popping out these days and the best and sleekest one I’ve seen so far is the upcoming Lenovo IdeaCentre A600.

And it’s specs:

Processor	Intel Pentium Dual Core & Core 2 Duo mobile
Display	21.5” capable of 1920x1080 Full HD resolution with 16:9 wide aspect ratio
Memory	up to 4GB DDR3 1066MHz
Hard disk	up to 1TB (1000 GB)
Graphics	integrated graphics with support for DX10 optional DX10 256M/512M OR ATI graphics
Connectivity	6x USB 2.0, 1x Firewire, 6-in-1 card reader, 802.11a/b/g , Ethernet, optional 802.11a/b/g/n
Webcam	1.3- or 2-megapixel camera
OS	Microsoft Vista Premium, Vista Basic
Options	Blu-Ray DVD player, hybrid analogue/digital TV tuner, 4-in-1 remote control

See that 1TB disk space? You could burn a lot of TV shows (there’s a TV tuner) on your disk. The 4-in-1 remote control also acts as a mouse, VOIP handset, some sort of wiimote and media center/TV remote.

Mmmm… starting price for this baby is $999. I wonder how much it’ll be with maximum upgrades.

[Engadget]

Starting your own small business

The start of the year is a good time to rethink what you want to achieve financially and how would you go about doing it. Do you continue being an 8-5 employee or do you want to be your own boss? Why not both?

A small franchise is ideal if you’re just starting out and want to dip your feet in the business world. If you’re new and want to start a business, applying for a franchise will save you a lot of time and headaches. The branding is there as well as the business model and processes. Not to mention that you will be guided and trained as you start out so you could avoid those unnecessary birth pains involved in having a small business.

Of course you should do your own research if you want to apply for a franchise. It should be something that you would be really proud of and not just the next “hot commodity” in town.

You should do quite a bit of background check on the franchise that you’re interested in. How long it has been in the business to avoid any scams, how many franchises have been made and it is also important to get know their business concept and the company’s vision.

If you want a head start, check out FranchiseOpportunities.com.

Here’s to a successful 2009!

Happy New Year and thank you Google

Happy new year everyone!! Hope you had a nice and peaceful new year’s eve. Here’s to a very good and blessed 2009 for all especially us the bloggers!

I’m so happy that Google gave my site a PR of 3 to start the year. From being PR0 for almost a year I got bounced to PR3 in less than a month of buying my own custom domain. I guess having your own domain really helps if you’re using Blogger.

Cheers!