There's a Geek in Everyone...

New Internet Speeds, Yay!

2009-02-08T10:20:00.000+08:00

We're the E-e-e-e-e-e-EWOKS!

2009-01-14T07:21:00.000+08:00

Whee!!! Eeeeeeeeewokkkkkkkzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

I used to love these guys mondo much. Though I realize now that the theme, in my memory, was rather magical, In reality, it actually sounds a little lame/corny..

Now I truly realize that a child's brain is different from the adult's. :)

However, EWOKS STILL ROCKS!!!

Insight: On Life And Pimples

2008-11-26T06:23:00.000+08:00

Just so I have a "patent" on this thought:

When God tries to leach issues out of us, it could be likened to trying to press pus out of a pimple...

And the more impacted the pimple, the more painful it is to press pus out of it; but there is greater relief that is experienced the moment pus DOES get popped out.

Heheh. Lorie's Gross Philosophy in its finest.

My Pisay Journey Part 2: The Cosmic Denouement

2008-11-23T00:37:00.001+08:00

I had been inspired to write the previous blog entry because I had been thinking about Reinabelle Reyes for two nights now. When I had asked Lis, coz she was friends with a Pisay Dil batchmate (whom I never got to meet) about Reina, I decided to Google "Reinabelle Reyes" in order to find out what she was up to nowadays.

I was happily surprised to know that she made world news, as she and her team in Princeton discovered how common Quasars are.

Though, in my journey as a Christian, I had sworn off planetary sciences because people are more important than stars, something, in one of my visions, had been related to black holes. And seeing that MY BATCHMATE, MY BATCH'S VALEDICTORIAN actually discovered and understood how common Quasars are, and gave a new level of understanding as to how black holes operate, I... Was mutedly shocked... And though not totally surprised, coz I already had clues about finding out, because I had impressions of Reina and I had that vision with the "stellar" significance I was... Bowled over with the fact that God had used a batchmate of mine, someone in close proximity in my history of people I've come into close contact with, to confirm that vision.

After that mild shock, I was happily distracted with talking to Derek, talking to Lis, writing the other blog post, Talking to Gigi, and now I'm here, letting you know that hey, a Pisay scholar discovered Something Significant in Astronomy! One more reason to keep the Pisay budget alive, Philippine Government! See, there is fruit to the crazy Imeldific legislation, after all!

I am proud of Reinabelle Reyes-Coronado. I am happy that she had put our country on the Worlwide Map. I am happy that she gives our Senate one more reason to keep Pisay alive.

She and Ma'am Josette Biyo are beautiful stars in the annals of fame in Pisay. I would like to give them honor and I would like to give God praise for putting women who blazed trails for Philippines and Pisay.

Who would have known that mysterious, introverted, thought-immersed Reina would someday do this? Who would have known that quirky, funny Ma'am Biyo (with whom I've had only one close encounter with, but it gave me a good glimpse into what a fun person she actually is) would someday have a PLANET named after her? No one but God. :D

I am glad to be part of the school that gave birth to great men and women. I am glad to be part of a family who, above the intellectualism and whatever, continue to go back to the one thing that matters in being in Pisay: EXCELLENCE.

Reina, thank you for being. Thank you for your humble pursuit of excellence. Congratulations for this feat, and may God bless you, keep your marriage in the palm of His hands, and keep your heart afire for excellence, and your passion for scholarship..

He did say in Daniel:

Daniel 2:20-21 (New International Version) “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Daniel 2:20-21 (New Living Translation)

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.

Daniel 2:20-21 (New American Standard Bible)

Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."

Daniel 12:3 (NIV) Those who are wise [Or who impart wisdom] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Again, congrats, Reina, and may you be gifted with more wisdom, understanding, and a greater appreciation for the God who created this universe!

My Pisay Journey Part 2: The Cosmic Denouement

2008-11-23T00:37:00.000+08:00

My Pisay Journey Part 1: The Rough Road to Healing

2008-11-23T00:33:00.000+08:00

For those of you who never knew, I am from Pisay. It is the Philippines' premier high school, and we get paid to break our brains.

I broke my brain and my heart in Pisay. So many things happened to me that the pain still echoes dimly. If ever there was a part of my heart that had had an open door to rejection, it was increased in Pisay Diliman; because Manila high schools had a social structure much like the Heathers. Pisay was a milder version, because we were preoccupied with remaining in school; if we had grades lower than 2.5 or around 75% to 80%, we were in danger of being hauled off to the Guidance Office.

Pisay broke my ego; as a young achiever in elementary, I was hailed as a "genius" by my classmates in SPED. It was already a a school for fast-learning children, but for the first few years of my life there, I never left the top 3. I was even #1 for the first two years.

And even as I plummeted from #1 to #7, graduating 5th Honorable Mention (#7, coz you still need to count the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, then go to 1st to whatever Honorable Mention), my classmates and their parents still hailed me as the smartest kid on the block...

But Pisay broke my ego.

When I was swimming in the pool of the Philippines' intellectual crèmè de la crèmè, I lost my identity as "the smartest one"... For how could you stand out from the crowd of "the best"?? I lost a sense of who I was, among people hailed to be better than I am.

Among future scientists, doctors, physicists, top vets, I was just me, manic-depressive Lorie, who slept in Physics Lab floors and Earth Sci class, on top of the counters and tables, as my teachers droned on and on.

I loved the sciences as a child. I was 8 when I got my first microscope and I loved looking at pretty slides of microscopic flowers and... Pond water. I loved decapitating ants and squishing roaches. I wouldn't touch lizards nor rats though. Anything that looked like it had a brain is off-limits to me. I killed all insects I came across, and played with their poor bodies to death, save for spiders. I felt like they had brains too. I'd torture Daddy Longlegs, though. I'd split their bodies apart and let them walk on just a leg or two.

I'd read my Grade 4 science books and be able to recite pages from memory. I won a class contest, Boys vs. Girls, single-handedly, on the Skeletal system, with minimal participation from my teammates.

That incident sparked the Boys to study harder and cream us all, when I got cocky on the Muscular System.. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, the Gluteus Maximus is the only memorable muscle. Pardon the Freudianity of it all.

Then came high school. All the flurry of geniuses, teachers that didn't know what on earth they were teaching, teachers that KNEW what they were teaching (Thanks Sir Bimbo Marte! Thanks Ma'am Arre!), lessons that broke my brain, realizing that I am "not good enough" to be a part of this lot of gifted people...

It got me lost.

No more the identity of being the best. No more the understanding that I am special. I was just pathetic obese ol me who could not survive Biology or CHEM.

So after a year of sleeping in classes, on countertops, and on Physics lab floors, I went home to Iloilo.

Pisay Iloilo gave me the acceptance I needed. From the hostile "Heathers" like milieu in Pisay Dil, I got the family I needed in Pisay.

Incidents like my mom rushing to give me my lab coat amidst our incessant fights, hours of counseling with my Chem teachers (Thanks Ma'am Paciente!), mercy from Sir Ongcol for finally letting me pass Chem in order to graduate, getting that first flat 1.0 on an essay on the Jewish Holocaust from Sir Cerbo, being mentored by Ma'am YZ, Sir Barre and Sir Siena, hours of talking with Ma'am Val Gerochi, Ma'am Eileen Ocampo, challenging Ma'am Barlas as to the importance of stupid Algebra and Trigonometry (Then realizing today that I can apply Calculus' concepts of permutations and Algebra's one to one correspondence.. Or is it Geometry? In my job in WRITING for a certain software...), the three Filipino Beauties: Ma'am Sunico, Ma'am Silario, Ma'am Sinfuego, Ma'am Guiloreza with whom I share my faith in God, Sir Cario who taught me that I could be good in Turbo Pascal after all, Sir Quiros, who tutored me for a while, Sir Redoblo, whose guts I hated (haha we can laugh at this now, Sir, when you read this, if ever, hahaha!), hours hanging out in "Tita Becky" (Director Rebecca Yandog)'s office, Sir Lando Libutaque and Sir Pacaco of hated and dreaded P.E. (but I loved Health class. :p), Ma'am Cuenca, Ma'am Mena-Navarro, Ma'am Magno, Sir Cadornigara (whose beautiful shiny head is sooo memorable), Sir Olvido (Who thought I'd join Greenpeace; nu-uuuh! BTW, that talk with your bro is probably one of the most memorable moments in my existence.), Sir Almero, Ma'am Salinel... You guys really made me feel loved, despite my messiness.

One conversation with Ma'am Salinel was very healing for me: she told me that she was warned by my other teachers about me: I was demanding and I was sooo hungry for knowledge, but hard to please; but whose comment that I was actually a nice student really helped me understand that my teachers actually thought highly of me...

These people in Pisay Iloilo helped me understand who I was more; they helped me feel accepted. And while I still go blank at the thought of possibly needing to study the Periodic Table of Elements in the future, knowing how to comprehend HTML and CSS now gives me confidence that I can "do all things through Christ who strenghtens me."

Pisay Dil, despite the fact that the only memories that remain are those of my classmates in Diamond, some of my dormmates, the ACTS facilitators and Ma'am Taruc, who was a gentle presence in the dorm, the quirky teachers, the mataray but lovable dorm manager Ma'am Daniel, and her motherly co-manager (I forgot the name), Computron and Sacha Chua, the beautiful Saturday afternoons in the campus, as well as the misadventures, will always be a major part of my growth. Even through the pain and angst of adolescence, the rude awakening to social systems that were hostile to my sensitive heart, these memories remain poignant and fond. Pisay will always be a part of my makeup.

Pisay Iloilo is always going to be my family. With Graviton being so bonded because we were driven to excel in the class plays we presented, with the fact that we were constantly told that we are so-united that we needed to resort to having that "lunch buddy" program... Look where we are now, guys! We're one big happy family with our own reunions! There is mutual respect and love. And we... Beat what they said about us. We are still here. We are still going strong. And we are the bestest buddies of each other!!!

And lastly, it's funny how God orchestrates families. I never knew it would be so uncanny as the way He created this... But my bestest bestest buddy, my best friend non-parallèle, is.......

FROM PISAY.

Throughout the angst, the pain, and everything, I now understand that it wasn't Pisay which brought me pain; Pisay was a place that God had brought me to, in order to experience a lot of things; be taught a lot of lessons, and understand one thing: Love knows no boundaries. It is not bounded by negative things said to us, in terms of Graviton being blahblahblah. Love is not bounded by the evil experiences we had gone through. Love is not bounded by the things we needed to overcome. It is not bounded by batches, by campuses, God brings people together in order to love Him and love each other anyway.

Diamond 01 people, thank you. Your acceptance has really helped me overcome some things I had gone through. Thank you that despite my messiness, I was, and still am, a friend to some. Thank you also to those I had befriended apart from Diamond: to Jaja Campos, with whom I had shared a lot, including hosting, and my first shot at an online presence, haha! To Connet, now a comrade in the work-at-home biz, to Celina (Papic), Michelle, and Reina, whose excellence inspired me... To Derek, for your forgiveness and friendship; for caring. To MK, Michelle and Rachel, who were good roommates to me, and to KC, who has forgiven me despite the fact that I was mean to her.

And mostly, I am thankful for Vanek. For that moment in a coffee house in UPLB. For stepping out in faith and inviting me to Victory UPLB. Without you, I won't be standing here today, poised to go to church to Victory QC tomorrow. I would like to give you my profuse thanks, and the honor that you deserve as the woman who helped close the deal in my journey to God's arms.

I am thankful I have my Graviton family, from whence my bestest friends come. I am thankful for Jaja, for bringing us together via Grav Yahoo Groups... I am thankful for Kitchie and Monalisa, who provide instant company and instant sanity-in-a-box in this Anomic metro, I am thankful for Pam, who is lost in all the crazy med work. I am thankful for Thessa, who taught me that friendships could happen between "the weird girl" and the "popular girl". For Hedy, who taught me that I could still be forgiven. For the people I have not named, who had been a source of friendship nonetheless.. For Rafi, who was instrumental in letting me get published in Central Echo and in securing my partnership with Shelly. For Ervin, who took a chance in trusting me; thank you for the respect and the trust. You are a cherished presence in my life. And for Paula, who taught me the value of loving a person despite her PMS... And mine. :p

Thank you all, for passing through my life, and thank you more for those who remain.

But most of all, I am thankful for Gigi, whose presence in my life was sanity-inducing, despite what we had individually gone through.

Even through the miles, even through what we had to overcome, even through the obstacles that kept us from being nice to each other at times, thank you for loving me with whatever you could manage before. Thank you for the better-than-buttercaramel-ice-cream moment over Skype today. It sure healed me.

This is my Pisay story. From pain and angst, from the journey of losing my so-called identity as the so-called "smart girl," from finding, losing and finding the love of learning once more, my Pisay experience gifted with a big basket of love and happy people who love me and I have a chance to love. For friendships that lasted, even through discouragements. For friendships that go beyond the hair and skin care advice; for spiritual sisterhood that has lasted through turmoil and strife... And journeyed on to healing.

I praise God for using my educational heritage and weaving it to become part of my spiritual heritage...

And hey, Jaja and Gigi just told me that it's Thanksgiving next week. This is pretty timely, then. :D Thanks, everyone! I love you all!!!

Blog Resurrection And Major Revelation: Nenyathegeek iz a Productivity Geek! Eek!

2008-10-07T03:56:00.003+08:00

Phew. I’ve finally resurrected my tech blog, after a spell of silence. So while we start to get warm and friendly again, guys and gals, I’ll be letting you know what I have in store for this blog:

Productive Mondays - Tips, tricks, techie lifehacks, software, and everything to do with productivity! Moi iz a dedicated productivity geek here, especially when she’s high on chocolate. :p

Tuesday Ramblez - My techie thoughts, my old and new toys, and whatever else comes to mind.

Gaming Wednesday - Everything to do with gaming. I love games, but only the puzzle kind, whether you like it or like it very much, heheh.

Thursday Software Reviews - Moi trying out new software, happily letting you know which rock and which suck. :p

Friday Gadget Review - Things I’ve used, things I’ve held with my two cute hands, and things I wanna have.

Saturday’s Cool Find of the Week - Whether it’s a website, a gadget I would like to have, or something neato that’s just pure tech love, it’s my reviews of the best the Internet could give you, hot off MY grill.

Now, for This Week’s Productive Mondays feature, click READ MORE. ;)

I get a possibly perverse kick out of organizing my email.

When it comes to organizing stuff, I really have a knack for it, IF it’s done on my computer. My room may be a different story, but when it comes to my computer, to emails, to my online files on Google Docs, I always make it a point to organize.

A friend once asked me, when I got my iPod Nano 3G from Chikka.com, whether I had spent hours trying to organize the thing. I didn’t. It was pointless, because I liked shuffling my music anyway.

But when it comes to email and work documents, I really make it a point to ORGANIZE. Why? Because it’s essential.

There are differences when you organize Yahoo Mail and Gmail, however. On Yahoo, you get to dunk things into folders. On Gmail, they have nifty things called labels. Labels function much like a Venn Diagram of sorts. You can allow two labels to overlap each other, so you can organize your email into two or more different fields. Neat, huh?

On the other hand, Yahoo’s folders are restricted to one topic or title you give the folder. The only thing I like with it is that when you need to move your inbox emails from inbox to folder, you could do it in one step, or you could even drag emails to the folders when you use the New Yahoo Mail.

On the other hand, Gmail is a little clunky when you move emails. You need to label it first, then you have to archive it. Grr. That’s why it would really be great if you had filters to toss your emails directly into labels and archive them on Gmail, or have filters to toss your Yahoo mails directly into your neat little Yahoo folders. The only downside to Yahoo folders is that they actually have a limit. Only fifteen filters for us, non Yahoo Mail Plus memberz! Man, too bad.

Next week on Productive Mondays, how to clean up your emails step by step, from clearing your inbox, to automating the inbox cleanup, both on Gmail and Yahoomail.

For Tuesday Ramblez, I’m going to talk to you about moi getting a FREE iPod Nano!

Quest for the Perfect Phone(s)

2008-06-02T20:04:00.002+08:00

What do I want in a phone? Well two phones, actually.

* One should be a dual-sim phone.
* The other should just be a basic phone.
* Both should have kick-butt value for money.
* Both should have a great keypad.
* Both should have keypads in the same orientation

Now why would I want two phones? Do YOU want two phones? Click "read more"!

Hello world. Long time, no peep from me. :p

The other week, I was rather distracted because I had been wanting to settle some desires with God: what phone to buy, what house to pray for, and all other things that only women could worry about. But when I found this baby, my heart settled upon it.

The journey of concluding what phone to pray for was not easy. I had certain standards, which I will discuss in Ervin’s Mobile Expressions blog tomorrow, and I was adamant about these standards.

But since it would be unfair to keep you “hanging,” I’ll give you a gist of what I had wanted in a phone. Well, actually, two phones:

* One should be a dual-sim phone.
* The other should just be a basic phone.
* Both should have kick-butt value for money.
* Both should have a great keypad.
* Both should have keypads in the same orientation.

Before I go on with the article, check out my other article on dual sim phones in Ervin's Mobile Expressions blog. :)

I had first seen the locally branded/distributed dual sim phone, the Solid Corporation MyPhone, as a good phone to target. But as I had realized that this one seemed to be no different from the Chinese Dual Sim phones that have invaded the market, I started to pray for a phone manufactured by a mainstream phone brand.

Enter Samsung’s and Philips Dual Sim phones.

Philips Xenium 9@9w instantly got crossed off the list because it was just “dual sim switching,” meaning that only one sim was on, and you have to press several keys before you get to the other sim.

On the other hand, Samsung’s D880 was a not-quite for me. I’ve always hated sliding phones, so I was really praying for a phone with a candy bar form factor. On that same night, I was able to read a review about the Samsung D780. It was perfect.

Candy-bar form, elegant, great camera, good connectivity, and best of all... My most-craved feature... A document viewer! I don’t think I would want anything else!

At first I thought that I still needed the D880, because its GSMArena spec sheet did not mention the document viewer feature. But upon reading the GSMArena review about it, I breathed a sigh of relief, because I learned that it also has a document viewer, after all! I would now be able to survive on a Samsung D780 and another low-end, entry-level Samsung phone, as per my connectivity needs, heheh.

(Both should be Samsung because of the keypad orientation, heheh. :p)

Well, now that I think about it, maybe I could use two of the D780, coz I do aim to get a landline sim card.. Hmm..

Just kidding!

That is just too much of technolust for me now. :p Especially since I’m also desiring the Samsung i780 and the Samsung i600 for me and my honee.. :p

Till tomorrow!

Why Microsoft is Definitely NOT Apple.

2008-05-14T02:45:00.001+08:00

This is the reason why Windows Vista never took off.

Heh.

The Secret of Steve Jobs' Success

2008-05-09T11:39:00.004+08:00

I had posted quite a few articles regarding Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. and the lessons we can learn from them. Being a fan of Apple products and a girl who marvels at how amazing Steve Jobs dogged focus and vision are, it isn’t rare that I would think about the lessons I’ve learned from the life of this remarkable man.

But while I can ramble to high heavens about how marvelous he is, it’s nothing more than the kind of idolatry that people have for entertainment celebrities and other such “idols,” if I do not just take the learnings that I’ve gleaned from his life and apply it to my own.

There are five lessons from Steve Jobs that I really long to apply in my own life:

Have a Vision for your life.
Attack setbacks with Determination.
Grab an opportunity when it presents itself.
Attack challenges with excellence.
Focus.

On Vision

Without an underlying vision or personal paradigm to go back to when things go rough, a person is like a “ship without a rudder” that will be tossed out to sea. What exactly are you made of? What are you made for? Are you a writer? Are you a computer programmer? An artist?

Your talents, your passions and your interests determine what you could be when you walk through life. But more important than all those is, “What do you do these things for?”

Steve Jobs demonstrated determining the vision for [the former] Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple, Inc.) by setting the vision that his company will cater to the personal computing industry, as opposed to catering to the corporate computing industry, which was the vogue at the time.

Even when Steve Jobs was derailed by getting kicked off his own company for a time, when he got back to Apple, Inc., he succeeded in steering the company back to its original paradigm.

On Determination

On the point of attacking setbacks with determination, it should be anyone’s first reaction to duress and trials. Though I am not a huge success in this region, I am learning that it is wiser to be determined when these mishaps happen our way instead of accepting defeat. One will never win in life unless he or she is determined to rise back up from where he fell.

Steve Jobs formed another company, NeXT Computer. Though it was definitely no Apple Computer, Inc., it was a way for Steve to keep evolving in terms of refining the computer that he wanted his engineers to produce.

On Grabbing Opportunity When It Presents Itself

Steve Jobs was the kind of guy who didn’t let an opportunity pass him by. When Apple Computer, Inc. bought NeXT in 1996, Steve Jobs took the challenge in working to turn around the sorry state of Apple. By then, the popularity of an Apple Computer was already nonexistent, and they were headed for bankruptcy. Because of his shrewd decisions, he was able to turn Apple Computer around from its sorry state into the industry icon that it is again.

In the late 1970s, when the first Apple Computer was created, it was a wooden box, the kind only a hobbyist could love. It was created by Steve Jobs’ best friend Steve Wozniak. Steve Jobs saw what be the computer that every household could use, and as the gears in his head turned and the doors of opportunity opened for them, Apple Computer carved a niche for itself because it positioned itself for the personal computer market, with a sexy computer that the public snapped up because of its innovative design. Woz (Steve Wozniak) didn’t exactly see the potential in his own machine; but Steve Jobs did, and it turned them into multimillionaires.

Both incidents demonstrated how shrewd Jobs could be. Jobs used the NeXT buyout by Apple to turn things around in the then-dying company. He also turned a hobbyist’s passion into the multibillion industry that it is today.

The lesson in this story is: when you see potential in something, or an opportunity presents itself and you see yourself succeeding in it, grab the opportunity, make use of that potential, and you can change the course of your life, and even make a dent on history.

On Attacking Challenges With Excellence

With everything that Jobs did, he did it “with love,” which was what he claimed to be the secret of his success, when he gave a speech at Stanford’s 2005 graduation.

It is love for something that would make you persevere at working on it, in spite of challenges. You become excellent at doing what you do not by forcing yourself, but by loving what you do.

Jobs does not stop at a mediocre product precisely because he demands near-perfection. Because he loves what he does and does not want to settle for a haphazard roll-out of his machines.

On Focus

Steve Jobs knew that he loved doing what he did, so even if he got kicked out of Apple Computer, Inc., he did not allow himself to stagnate in defeat. According to his Stanford speech, he realized he really still loved what he did, that is why instead of dropping off into obscurity, he decided to found NeXT Computer and Pixar Animation Studios (bought from Lucasfilm, Ltd., formerly just the graphics division of Lucasfilm). Because he was focused on delivering great computers, even great animation, he was able to catapult Pixar into fame. And even though NeXT never made it into the mainstream, Jobs used that period in his life to develop part of the great Operating System that Macs have now: OS X.

These outline the kind of dogged focus that Steve Jobs had for excellence in the things he loved.

But the most important illustration of Steve’s focus were those incidents wherein he had booted out quite a few projects from Apple simply because they do not fit his vision, were superfluous, which he knew won’t sell, and built the company around a streamlined product line.

Notice that the Macbook line only holds one form factor, while the Macbook Pro models’ difference from each other lay only on their innards and screen size? Jobs knew what he wanted to build his company around; he did not bother to create multiple models, too many product lines, and focused on what he knew would sell.

The addition of the Macbook Air was a response to the clamor of the Mac enthusiast community, but it still kept on with the form factor of the other current Macs. Even if it may seem that uniformity may create a “vanilla” phenomenon, Steve bucked the current industry trend of diversity and streamlined Apple’s product lines on what became highly desirable and sellable items.
Steve Jobs’ True Secret

But the true secret to Steve’s excellence did not come from formulas or whatever life lessons. It actually came from one simple thing:

Steve Jobs loved the things that he did.

:) Kind of echoes 1 Corinthians 13. :)

The Ultraportable Wars Part 2: The Shoot-Out!

2008-05-06T14:47:00.005+08:00

Ultraportables are sexy, attractive, and sleek. Seems to me that everyone, from consumers to tech companies, are rushing to the ultraportable niche because more and more people are becoming mobile and would require a lighter machine.

I have the same reasons for wanting my own ultraportable PC. But among all the reasons I have, I want one badly because it’s a healthier alternative to lugging 5.2 lbs of a tech ~~monstrosity~~ darling just to make sure that I would have something “productive” to do while I’m out of the house.

In my old articles, I think I’ve put in one article about eeePC too many. But today, I just wanted to do a “shoot-out” of sorts for three computers I’ve been eyeing.

As far as I’ve tried the three ultraportable laptops mentioned here, I give the crown to the Macbook Air, hands down. It’s not just because I’m a Mac lover, but the engineering is just unlike anything I’ve seen before.

The next best thing to the Macbook Air, for me, would be the eeePC 900. Though I was able to try only the eeePC 701 just yet, I know that the eeePC 900 would be a worthy alternative to the Macbook. Keep reading to know why. :p

Because the features of either computer are rather complementary, the tie goes to Intel Classmate PC and the eeePC 701.

The reason why I deem the Macbook Air as the ultimate ultraportable lies in the fact that I hadn’t seen anything with a chassis as apparently durable as what it’s made of. The Macbook Air’s chassis is made entirely out of aluminum. This is what makes the Macbook Air a very lightweight machine. This, and the fact that the Macbook Air’s LCD is made free of mercury and arsenic, add to that the fact that its internal cables are PVC-free and the a majority of its circuit boards are devoid of brominated flame retardants seemed to have appeased, well, Greepeace.

But it’s not the “green factor” that made the Macbook Air attractive to me. I liked the Macbook Air the moment I saw it because of its:

Sleek design
Amazing lightness
The fact that it carries OS X.

On the other hand, the eeePC 900 is another laptop that I would so want to have. An upgrade from the 701, I would like this better, because the screen is a little bit bigger, plus it also has a bigger hard drive space (14GB if used with Windows, 20GB if used with Xandros Linux) over the 701. Since the price is less than a third of the Macbook Air ($549 vs. the Macbook Air’s $1799), I think this is a worthy alternative to the MBA*, don’t you agree?

I filed the eeePC 701 and Intel Classmate PC under one single category in my brain because they are not complete in and of themselves. The eeePC 701 may be small, lightweight, and affordable, but the screen is just too small. The hard drive size? Worse. Even on Linux, I think most users would find 4GB inadequate. Grossly inadequate. On the other hand, if you get an 8GB model, at $513.95 at its lowest popular price, why don’t you just get an eeePC 900 instead, right? Aside from the larger hard drive, the eeePC 900 has a better webcam, at 1.3 MP. Add to that the fact that eeePC 900 has the “FingerGlide Technology,” which mimics the Macbook Air’s Multi-Touch trackpad gestures, I think that the eeePC 900 just made its predecessor, the eee701, obsolete.

Lastly, the Intel Classmate PC. Rebranded as the NEO Explore in my country, I liked this, not because it looks like a glorified plaything, but because of its excellent keyboard. Unlike the eeePC 701 that I had tried, I found that the Intel Classmate PC had a more stable keyboard, is spill-proof by design and according to the salesmen I’ve talked with (they’ve spilled coffee on their demo unit, heheh). The Intel Classmate PC is also the type which you can toss, drop, and be brutal with, but it will still hold its ground. This is due to the fact that it was originally manufactured for charity purposes, when the One Laptop Per Child mania broke out. It was engineered for rough use by children, thus its rugged construction.

Before the eeePC 900 came out, the Intel Classmate PC put up a worthy fight to the eeePC 701, in my opinion. If it boiled down to the keyboard, I would choose the Intel Classmate PC anyday. Not only that, the 30GB hard drive on the Intel Classmate PC, kicked the eeePC 701’s butt.

But it don’t have no webcam. :(

So when I finally heard of the eeePC 900... I knew that I had to have that, along with the Macbook Air. Why? I just wanna play with them gadgets. Heheh. :) Aside from my true, serious reason for wanting an ultraportable, that is. :)

The reason why I’m in the market for an ultraportable to pray for is that I would like to be able to just slip my computer into my bag, then go off to where I’m supposed to be headed. You can’t do that with a 5.2-lb Macbook. It’s sheer shoulder and spine murder.

So if you happened to be on the look out for a good ultraportable, hope this ramble helped you!

Check out the video below for an update on the Intel Classmate PC. :)

The Mac Freezes!

2008-05-06T03:24:00.001+08:00

Doink.

I was so boastful of the Mac not freezing or “hanging” on me. Recently, I am starting to think that I may well have exposed myself to tomato-pelting by the PC fanboys.

Just while I was churning out all three parts of the Sayuri gripe saga, I was distressed when I had to restart her because I could no longer force-quit the applications. Though I was trying to click using the trackpad, I wasn’t getting any response, but ironically, the Internet Radio was still playing.

If a computer has truly “frozen,” even the Internet Radio should be frozen too, right?

So, even though I was still so puzzled, I decided to just start over and restart my computer.

When I restarted, I noticed that the trackpad still won’t respond! Puzzled, I kept on trying to press it, to no avail. The mouse arrow moves, but the clicker won’t click!

I was already starting to wonder if I needed to bring Sayuri in for repairs. prematurely. Then I realized: I was pressing on my mouse.

Oh great. Classic case of Absentminded Lorie.

It’s been several times that I thought my computer had frozen that I thought I needed to restart Sayuri but it turns out that I had only been putting pressure on my mouse, when I would lie down and work on with Sayuri on my tummy.

Does this mean that I need to either eat more again, sleep more, or just be... Less preoccupied?

You tell me. I sure felt like a total, err, ox y moron. :p

The Ultraportable Wars Part 1: An Intro

2008-05-04T14:17:00.007+08:00

On the day before my birthday, a new computer will be unveiled in the Philippines...

This computer is the upgraded version of a model that I had really been salivating over for the longest time, though I teeter from liking to reconsidering.

The eeePC had caught the world by storm when it was first unveiled. While all the other companies made ultramobiles harder to buy because they basically put a dent on one’s pockets, Asus made it possible for a person to own an ultramobile without the heartache. The eeePC had turned around the way personal computers were priced, and they started a phenomenon among the ultramobiles.

And yet, the eeePC was not without its glaring flaws. Its screen was too small for comfort for most, and thus, according to my TipidPC.com friend, Kuya Bongbong, his customers’ eeePC units were being re-sold after a couple of months. The reason: the screen was too small, and users had to squint in order to use the eeePC for long periods.

To remedy this and other issues, Asus released the eeePC 900. Bumped up from the 2GB/4GB and 8GB models, the Linux version of the eeePC 900 now has 20GB of Hard Drive space, as well as an 8.9” screen, instead of the eeePC 701’s 7” screen. Aside from that, the webcam on the eeePC 900 is bumped up to a resolution of 1.3 Megapixels, along with the new FingerGlide system, which may well be an adaptation of how Macbooks’ trackpads can be navigated.

Along with the anxiety of wanting a new computer, I started to list down the other gadgets I would like to have, soon. See, I have this thing of praying for the stuff I want. I believe that God wants to bless me immensely, and I do believe that I should start every purchase consideration with prayer.

I had been debating on whether to pray for the eeePC or the Macbook Air instead. When the Macbook Air was released, and I was able to try an eeePC for, like, ten minutes, I noticed that the eeePC 701’s keyboard keys weren’t exactly anchored well. The Intel Classmate PC, rebranded as the NEO Explore here in the Philippines, had a better keyboard: more stable, and easier to type on.

Now that seems like a dilemma, right? Next post will be on the pro’s and cons of the eeePC, vs. the Macbook Air, vs. the Intel Classmate PC/NEO Explore. :)

Sayuri Dissatisfaction Saga Part 3: A sigh of relief! The saga ends here!

2008-05-04T06:42:00.001+08:00

I now know what computer system I want to have next!

As I had browsed through the computer displays this recent Saturday, I was finally able to find out more about this beauty of a monitor. I first saw this as I was going out of Digital Hub in Robinson’s Pioneer, after looking through the Macbook Pro and the iMac and trying to decide which one to really target next, and I had a hunch that it may double as an HDTV or something.

True enough, as I asked about it while I was window shopping, I found out that it was, indeed an HDTV, aside from a computer monitor!

So while I was mulling over my other options, my heart was starting to get set on how I would build a computer system around this tech wonder: the AOC M19W531 LCD monitor with built-in TV Tuner.

I wondered how I would actually pull off this financial maneuver, so I decided to try and build a system for myself online, through PC Corner.com.ph’s PC Builder application. I came up with these specs (click to download my specs sheet), and I realized that I need quite a big amount of moolah if I want an excellent system. Buying this desktop system would actually be much like buying a mid-range PC laptop. Though I was really warming up to the idea, I was starting to think that there may be better options. Like going for a second-hand desktop system from Japan instead.

And so, my heart is settled. The saga ends. I am going for a desktop system built around this LCD Monitor-slash-HDTV. Initially, I shall buy one of these second-hand beauties, then later, I’ll get me a kick-butt system like the one I built.

All’s well that ends well, eh? :)

Sayuri Dissatisfaction Saga Part 2: Ambivalence and Dilemmas

2008-05-04T00:45:00.004+08:00

Last time, you caught me trying to decide what kind of computer system to replace Sayuri with. Sayuri is my Macbook, and I am starting to feel like the monitor isn’t positioned tall/high enough for how I would like it to be. I would like to be able to work on a monitor mounted on eye-level once again, and being on a laptop isn’t exactly working out for me nowadays.

The last scene you caught me with on the last post was of me wistfully evaluating whether I’ll get a Macbook Pro or an iMac. And so there I was...

As I walked away from Digital Hub, I mused about getting either an Asus, Toshiba, Acer, or a sturdy OEM laptop like a Flextronics (formerly Arima) laptop instead.

But as I drifted from computer store to computer store, and thought about my options, I thought that getting a PC laptop would not be a good idea for me, since I have plans of installing Ubuntu Linux’s newer distros in the future. Ubuntu is maturing and it’s an exciting time to try out every distro that comes out. I also had plans of installing OS X Leopard’s hacked version while I’m still not ready to buy another Mac. So if I aim to have a place where I can play with software and OS’s, a laptop is definitely NOT a good idea.

I was thinking that I’ll go out for a Macbook Pro instead, or probably an iMac. I was hoping to just keep praying, working and saving until I get either one. But yesterday, as I decided to just take a look-see at the different computer stores around the mall nearest me, my heart started to calcify its decision: I want to go out for building my own desktop instead.

Up next: My dream desktop system.

For a great bargain on ASUS and OEM laptops, do contact Bongbong of TipidPC.com!

Sayuri Dissatisfaction Saga Part 1: The Journey Begins

2008-05-03T23:48:00.004+08:00

I honestly don’t know when it started, but I just happened to become dissatisfied with my my Macbook, and I realized I wanted to have a taller monitor. The 8.9” screen height just seemed too short, and I got tired of looking at my monitor with my neck slightly bent, and my back was already starting to complain. See, if I raised my adjustable table, my wrists would have a problem coping with the position, while as it is, I would really like to work with the ability to see what I’m typing at eye level.

So I decided that I needed to start praying for my next computer system already.

My immediate thought was to get a Macbook Pro. But as I was thinking about the price (Standard Apple Store Starting Price: $1899), I started to have second thoughts. What if I just bought a System76 computer?

System76 is a company that specializes in computers bundled with and optimized for Ubuntu Linux. If I would load a laptop with Ubuntu Linux, I would rather use a System76 laptop, just so mishaps like a computer burning down because of faulty sleep/hibernate function would be avoided.

As I was browsing through the laptop offerings they have, I found it amusing that I was looking for a 15-incher, and the Pangolin Value, System76's 15-incher, had a lid I fell in love with (the picture above). So my heart started to settle for the Pangolin, with a few extras. The configuration I chose (120GB HD, +bluetooth, +built-in webcam) went up to only $888. A thousand and $11 less ($1011) less than a Macbook Pro, right?

But I have a serious problem: there are no System76 resellers here in the Philippines. So either I make one of my friends send it to me, or that he/she could handcarry the computer back here. Not exactly feasible. So I went back to the original thought of getting a Macbook Pro. So I decided to head on over to the Apple reseller nearest me: Digital Hub in Robinson's Pioneer, and tried out their 15” Macbook Pro. As I played with it, I realized that it doesn’t really have much of a difference in terms of screen real estate to the 13” Macbook.

So I decided to try the iMac too, and see what the difference was. As I tinkered with the iMac, I realized that it was what I wanted: the screen real estate that I need would only be achieved with either an iMac, another all-in-one computer, or a desktop computer.

So what was I to do?

Part 2 on the next post!

For Missionaries: Using Twitter To Get Your Butt Out of Jail!

2008-05-02T11:01:00.006+08:00

If you are a missionary in a critical region, and you may be at risk for getting yourself in deep doo-doo, maybe this story will inspire you.

Let's use technology in the way that would glorify God.. And save our necks in the process. Heheh. :p

Student 'Twitters' his way out of Egyptian jail

-Twitter message allowed college to get word, hire a lawyer for him.
-Now Buck's quest is to find translator Mohammed Maree, who was arrested with him.
-Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows users to update their status.

By Mallory Simon
CNN

(CNN) -- James Karl Buck helped free himself from an Egyptian jail with a one-word blog post from his cell phone.

Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in Mahalla, Egypt, covering an anti-government protest when he and his translator, Mohammed Maree, were arrested April 10.

On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.

The message only had one word. "Arrested."

Within seconds, colleagues in the United States and his blogger-friends in Egypt -- the same ones who had taught him the tool only a week earlier -- were alerted that he was being held.

Twitter is a social-networking blog site that allows users to send status updates, or "tweets," from cell phones, instant messaging services and Facebook in less than 140 characters.

Hossam el-Hamalawy, a Cairo-based blogger at UC-Berkeley, was one of the people who got word of Buck's arrest.

"At first I was worried about his safety," el-Hamalawy said.

Then, el-Hamalawy took to the Web and wrote regular updates in his own blog to spread the information Buck was sending by Twitter. Nobody was sure how long Buck would be able to communicate.See Buck describe what he saw and captured on film during the protests

But Buck was able to send updates every couple of hours saying he was still detained, he had spoken to the prosecutor, he still had not been charged, and he was worried about Maree.

"Usually the first thing the police go for is the detainees' cameras and cellular phones," el-Hamalawy said. "I'm surprised they left James with his phone."

Twitter is normally used to keep groups of people connected in less urgent situations.

But Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, said he and others knew that the service could have wide-reaching effects early on, when the San-Francisco, California-based company used it to communicate during earthquakes.

Stone said that as the service got more popular, they began to hear stories of people using Twitter during natural disasters with a focus on activism and journalism.

Buck's urgent message is proof of the value of Twitter, Stone said. Buck's entry set off a chain of events that led to his college hiring a lawyer on his behalf.

"James' case is particularly compelling to us because of the simplicity of his message -- one word, 'arrested' -- and the speed with which the whole scene played out," Stone said. "It highlights the simplicity and value of a real-time communication network that follows you wherever you go."

Initially, the Twitter message was a precaution -- something people could trace in case anything went wrong, Buck said.

"The most important thing on my mind was to let someone know where we were so that there would be some record of it ... so we couldn't [disappear]," Buck said. "As long as someone knew where we were, I felt like they couldn't do their worst [to us] because someone, at some point, would be checking in on them."

Buck began using Twitter as a way to keep up in touch with the bloggers at the heart of his project and the events going on in Egypt that he intended to cover. Buck was working on a multimedia project on Egypt's "new leftists and the blogosphere" as part of his master's degree thesis.

Buck found out from a Twitter message that a planned protest against rising food prices and decreasing wages in Mahalla had been shut down by Egyptian authorities April 6.

The next day, tensions rose as family and friends of protesters who had been detained took to the streets, eventually throwing Molotov cocktails and setting tires on fire, he said.

On April 10, Buck returned to Mahalla, where protests continued.

"I was worried about getting arrested, so I made sure to stay at a distance from the protest so there was no way I could be accused of being part of it," Buck said. "Mohammed and I had a bad sense; it was really tense."

When the men tried to escape, they were detained. That's when Buck thought of Twitter and sent out his message.

Buck and Maree were interrogated, released and then detained again by the same police officers.

"We are really worried that we are off the radar now," Buck said.

Eventually Buck was released, but Maree was transferred to another police station.

As he left the station, Buck reached into his pocket, as he did less than 24 hours earlier.

Another one-word blog entry said it all: "Free."

As happy as he was to be free, Buck said, his biggest frustration was leaving behind the translator who helped protect him during the riots.

Although the Twitter message helped him find contacts to get out of prison, he says it was more the power of the network he had as an American that enabled him to be released so quickly.

"Mohammed was sitting next to me," he said. "But he didn't have the network to call. I tried to use my network to shield him until they tore us apart."

Twitter may not have been able to secure Maree's release, but Buck hopes his initial reason for using Twitter will help find his missing friend.

"It was my big hope that people would get [the message] right away and at least put a thumbtack on the map as far as our location," Buck said.

There has been no official confirmation regarding Maree's whereabouts.

Attiya Shakran, press counsel for the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, said Maree was released April 13.

Maree's brother Ahmed Maree said that he had not heard from his brother and that he believes he is still in jail.

Government officials in Egypt could neither confirm nor deny Maree's release, despite repeated requests for comment.

Buck is now using his story and Twitter page as a way to rally people looking for answers about Maree's status. He's gone as far as publishing the phone number of the press counsel of the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco and posting a petition for Maree's release.

For Buck, the main story is no longer about his quest for freedom from jail; it's a quest to find answers and, eventually, find his friend.

Dissecting the Phone for Resurrection

2008-04-17T17:42:00.007+08:00

Of all the things that geeks really like tinkering with, it’s their machines. Some geeks are into putting together stuff, others are into taking apart stuff. I belong to the “taking apart” department. Whenever I have stuff that are ready to disintegrate, I am ready to take screwdrivers, pliers, whatever it would take, to pry my stuff open.

Last night, I thought my phone was about to die on me. But something told me that there was just some moisture inside. Though I had a good mind to put it under the sun, I decided to do something riskier: open it up, as is wont of my habits when things go awry with any of my machines.

True enough, when I opened it up, some gross scum-like... Stuff, was clinging to the borders of the metal clamping down its LCD display. It’s a good thing I got to it this early, because I would have had a truly dead phone by now.

To cut to the chase, I cleaned the border of the LCD, put the case back together, and I now have a functioning phone once more. From a dying phone, I had been able to resurrect it with a little bit of insight and some daring to just go ahead and fix it!

Yay.

My father’s former IBM laptop was not so lucky in my hands, however. When I put my screwdriver and my inquisitive fingers to it in 2001... It was then rendered a museum ornament of Humpty Dumpty proportions.

Guess my “tech magic” does not work virtually everywhere. :p

Update on my phone:

It works pretty well today (4/19/08). :p

Nenya The Geek is Born!

2008-04-02T01:54:00.005+08:00

Finally, I resurrected my tech blog. I was going to keep the “DummyGeekGurl” moniker, but I knew I had to change the name. I didn’t want to be known as the girl dummy geek who likes tech and gadgets but can’t do code, anymore.

I had claimed for myself the name “nenyalorien” when I got fascinated with The Lord of the Rings. I loved the way Tolkien near-seamlessly wove the story, and I love the parallels to the Christian life. If you want to learn about the origin and my story about the “nenyalorien” nick, click any of the links. But as for “NenyaTheGeek...”

I had wanted to make a nick that would have had a geeky side to it, and yet would have a deeper meaning, and none of the “DummyGeekGurl” ditz-geek connotation. PLUS, “dummy” seemed to make me feel dumb. So though I had initially created it to highlight the fact that I’m a geek, I am a gurl, but I don’t do code (program software), I realized that I didn’t want a synonym for “idiot” to be attached to my identity. So when I decided to leave the company where DummyGeekGurl was born, I had to “reinvent” myself. Thus, NenyaTheGeek was born.

So named, because I wanted it to sound geeky, as I said. Nenya, of the Elven Lore as told by Tolkien. “Geek,” to emphasize the obvious, and... Voila! NenyaTheGeek! Doesn’t it sound sooo... Viking-ish?

So re-welcome me to cyberspace? :D

P.S.

What to expect from this blog? Lorie's blabberings on tech, and its intersection with life! :p

Image Credits:

Jupiterimages.com