So.. update your links now to http://noel.feria.name/blog

See you there!

[Photo courtesy of airgap]

If you were able to track the posts I have made in this blog, you might be wondering why I have a gadget review all of a sudden. Well, I just tried requesting for a trial from WOMWorld just like what Kuya did to review the Nokia E71. In my case, I requested for a Nokia E90 Communicator that shall be returned to WOMWorld after having the opportunity to test it out for a span of 2 weeks. Isn’t that cool? It’s hot!

Now why did I choose Nokia E90 instead of the other models? I just thought that it’s the one closest to what I’ve got – a Sony Ericsson P990i which SE categorizes as a business phone although some would say that it has already become a PNB or ‘Phone Ng Bayan‘ last year in the Philippines. I did have an experience in Trinoma in which everyone within some meters of me was holding the same model I had. Haha!

So how’s the Nokia E90 Communicator? The form factor was nice except for 2 things – it’s bulky and heavy! It was even longer than the phone I have right now which makes it more difficult to handle the device. Although it has somewhat the same thickness with the phone I had, I must say that the E90′s better since it has a larger QWERTY mode (keyboard) for inputs unlike the P990i. Perhaps, if it’s even thinner and shorter than the P990i, then it’s a go; but since it isn’t, it’s not advisable to put it in the pocket of your pants while traveling.

So what’s the first thing I did after inserting my SIM card? I replied to an SMS my bestfriend sent me! Being an SE user, texting was confusing at first but I got used to its front keypad in just minutes. The keypad was actually comfortable to use and it was very responsive. Next, I tried configuring WiFi. It was hard at first for I was not used to Nokia models but after figuring out the user interface, I think its way of detecting access points was nice because it was automatic unlike the phone I had where I need to scan every time.

Trying the keyboard mode was nice for it opens up a larger screen especially when browsing websites. It’s easy to switch modes which makes it handy when you need to browse a site that has no mobile version and you need to see the entire site so as not to get mixed up with the interface. Although I got confused in opening new windows or tabs, its way of showing the recently visited sites was good for it’s just a Navi scroll key away. I was not really able to run down the memory or amount of data that the browser can handle but I guess the mere fact that it never crashed during my experience with it was good enough as far as the browser’s concerned.

After testing out a couple of sites, I tried installing Google Maps for Mobile and Qik for live streaming. Since the device has a GPS component, running Google Maps was as good as the 3G speed of your provider. I used uMobile and I was able to see my location on the map moving almost in real-time too! However, when I used the same SIM for Qik, the service somewhat failed me for it had a weak signal in the Y4iT event I was trying to cover through live stream. I then tried recording the talks of the event if there was no 3G/GPRS signal to connect to.

So how did it go? My hand got tired from carrying the device. I felt that the unit became warm from recording about 40 minutes of video while the battery drained more than half of its capacity. It seemed that the unit has either a weak battery or the recording of the video was just heavy in terms of usage. In fairness, by the time I arrived home to look at the recorded videos, they were already in MPEG4 formats. The 40-minute video was about 400MBs in file size and the audio & video quality were pleasant.

Other impressions? Trying out the 3.2 megapixel camera with flash was fine and was very easy to use. The pre-installed applications had given me an impression of completeness – almost every app that I need was installed already. Well, there were some UI stuffs that perhaps needs some work to increase its usability.

On start-up, the screen displays an application manager notification doing its checks on the system which is irritating especially when you need to make quick calls or texts right away. I had encountered an ‘Any Key‘ error or some phrase that sounded like it but I just made a restart instead and it was back to normal. The only time that the unit crashed for some reason was an instance in connecting to the Internet through Google Mobile Maps. I was not able to determine what really caused it though.

Overall experience? I would say that the Nokia E90 Communicator is a great phone to have. It only needs to work on its bulky size, battery strength, and perhaps, a better browser that has the power of the one you’re using right now on your computer (i.e. tabs, multimedia support). By the way, the user-friendliness was quite good for I was able to use it without even reading the user manual, except of course – for the SIM card and battery stuffs.

To get one, you only need to get an invitation code from someone who’s already an active subscriber, fill-up the contact application form, and just answer the required lifestyle questionnaires. Afterwards, it will evaluate your application and will send you a confirmation email that they had already processed it and had made you a umobile subscriber.

So how’s the umobile experience for me? I actually started testing its coverage during the week of the Y4iT event. After inserting the SIM card to my alternate phone, I tried sending an SMS right away. Unfortunately, sending text messages to Globe users was not yet supported or was still undergoing maintenance. This issue was also pointed out in one of their customer update emails and that they’re still working out on the full network interconnectivity.

How about 3G? The connection was fast – as fast as Smart’s? I have no idea if they’re now on the same network right after Smart Telecoms acquired Umobile Cure Inc. When I tried using 3G (or even GPRS) during the Y4iT event, I actually had a hard time connecting to the service which then results to my Nokia E90 not being able to live stream some parts of the event through the Qik service. Instead of live streaming, I just recorded the talks and had those uploaded to Youtube afterwards. I also tried the 3G at home but there was no signal detected. Perhaps, I should’ve loaded a Smart SIM from the very start.

Obviously, they’re still on the process of expanding their networks and facilities. The free Php100 load every month for the first 6 months sounds somewhat cool. I just hope that there’ll be more surprises for us consumers (and more free credits for a longer time!).

Join and be a part of the most anticipated IT event of the year – Y4iT 2008!

The University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC) and UP System IT Foundation (UP SITF) in cooperation with the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP), and UP ITTC Student Volunteer Corps, present this year’s Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology (Y4IT), which will be held simultaneously at the UP Theatre, UP Film Institute and UP Bahay ng Alumni from September 2-5.

Now on its sixth year, Y4IT has continuously been the largest gathering of IT enthusiasts from all over the country. This year, Y4IT will be even bigger and better with more than 17, 000 anticipated delegates.

Y4IT aims to introduce students, professionals, and enthusiasts alike to current trends in information and communications technology, providing knowledge sources and opening for them learning and career opportunities in ICT.

Featured in the four-day congress are timely and relevant topics like Nanobiophotonics & Wireless Technology, eLearning 2.0, Blogging, Creating Independent Filipino Games, Social Networking, Blu-Ray, Java Certification, PhilNITS as a National IT Standard, Open Solaris, Outsourcing & Offshoring, News Portals: The New Information Channel, Geographic Information Systems, Library 2.0 and Beyond, IT in Medicine, Video on Demand, Mobile Animation, Ruby on Rails, Java FX, Marketing Reloaded, Wikipedia & Collective Intelligence, Information Security Analytics, Digital Media & Distribution Channels, IT Forensics, Cloud Computing, and many more. Aside from these, there will also be a number of side events which include presentations and exhibits.

For more information, just visit http://y4it.up.edu.ph.

Are you wondering what happened last night at the Globe iPhone 3G Countdown Launch Party?

Try to the watch the archived (live) streaming of the event at Qik and Bambuser! The Qik stream was captured through a Nokia E71 while the Bambuser stream was created through my Sony Ericsson P990i simultaneously.

Before the event, Kuya and I had dinner at Circles in Makati Shangri-la that was sponsored by Globe, and afterwards we proceeded to Ayala Tower One for the main event. I was not really into taking pictures because 1) there were so many flashes of light coming from everywhere which would only ruin my shots, 2) my mobile phone’s camera was not really that good + i got myself a shaky hand, and 3) i was actually planning of streaming the event live.

Unfortunately, I posted a wrong link of my other stream on my microblogging services (Twitter, Ping.fm) and I just realized it when I have checked the link at home. Obviously, I had a hard time figuring or remembering the link of my other stream since I don’t frequently use it and I was on mobile mode with both hands busy covering the event at the Ayala Tower One.

I was supposed to attend the successful BarCamp Manila yesterday but obviously it’s impossible to be in 2 places at the same time.

So how about you? Are you planning to get an iPhone 3G too or do you have one already?

But wait, what’s WordCamp all about?

Quoting from their site:

WordCamp is the premier event for WordPress users and developers. WordPress is arguably the #1 blogging platform in the world today. Apart from the fact that it is feature-packed, highly customizable and flexible, WordPress is open source, and therefore has a large community dedicated to advancing its development. And so, WordCamp is the best venue for WP enthusiasts to come together and get updated on the latest.

Links for WordCamp Philippines:

• Mindanao Bloggers
• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia

Obviously, it’s going to be a very busy September for me since there are also events such as Y4iT 2008 and the Software Freedom Day that are usually held on the same month plus the academic and work loads for this semester. I just hope that I’d be able to attend all of ‘em. Eeek.

So, see you in September then!

I guess, it can still be done! How? Just get your box a package of Wine and install Firefox on top of it!

I was supposed to capture more screenshots but obviously I got stuck at the Mail Error part of my testing. I haven’t tried running Safari though.

As usual, suggestions and reviews are always welcome.

As always, it’s time to renew my birthday wishlist for this year too. Here it goes:

• a USB optic mouse. Thanks kuya!

Yes, I’m in desperate need of a small/sleek/short ergonomic one before I develop RSIs on my hands. The size of a 1st gen iPod Shuffle (or something smaller/slimmer) would do.



• a UP Jacket

It’s just in time since the rainy season’s here again – a perfect time for the UP Centennial Jackets‘ release as well.

• a Screen Protector for my Sony Ericsson P990i

It was last year when I got that powerful mobile phone so why not give its screen a new face, right?

• Any recent Jesuit CD album (Bukas Palad, Himig Heswita, Hangad), Lauds CD, or the Pasko Na! Songbook and Choral Arrangement



Isn’t it obvious that I’m fond of their songs?

• a 5×5 Rubiks cube

A geek’s toy a must!

…and for long-term purposes:

• a MacBook

Because I need a laptop in which everything just works.

• a Steel/Acoustic/Electric Gibson guitar

The Gibson steel guitar I have been using for more than 8 years (during Sunday masses, Christmas carolings, etc.) needs to retire already. Or maybe it only needs a makeover?

So again, hello July!

So what makes this Java event different from the previous ones?

In this Sun Tech Day event, I was attending it as a participant having VIP passes along with the UP JRDC student assistants (ada, ruzette & karen), UP ACM volunteers (marianlbt & rem), and the DCS faculty (jdlcaro, rom, mariocarreon & sir pros). Matt Thompson started the Demo Showcase that featured the technologies in live action.

Some of the technologies that were featured in the event were: Carol McDonald‘s jMaki, Sang Shin’s Web 2.0 Frameworks/Toolkits & JavaPassion, Java Development on the Mac, Java FX Script, and OpenSolaris. The features of NetBeans 6.1 were so emphasized especially in the NetBeans DeepDive Session on the first day. Applications were being developed and deployed fast – almost without writing any single line of code.

So what’s the effect? I was craving to try all of the stuffs at the same time. However, as expected, there were overlapping sessions which gave me a hard time of choosing which to track to take. Luckily, there were LCDs for every track so you get to have a preview of all of the sessions (and if there’s a freebie giveaway going on).

Freebies?! I got myself these stuffs: STD bag, STD notebook, SDN moleskine, Java/JEDI pens, OpenSolaris CD, Netbeans CD, Nokia post-its, Nokia notebook, Pen+ruler keychain, and a STD bag tag/ID.

There were really lots of giveaways for the delegates; there’s even a Java leather jacket! So who won it? Check out Em‘s blog post about the turn of events (and her Sun Tech Days experience as well).

Throughout the event, I’ve found out that Matt Thompson‘s on Twitter too! Same as Carol McDonald and Aisling MacRunnels. Isn’t it amazing that they’re easier to reach now through just a single Twitter message? And oh, Sun Tech Days in Manila got the Best Audience Award! Woot!

All-in-all, it was a great Java week! Happy 10th Anniversary, Sun Tech Days!

Remember Sun Tech Days 2004?

That was actually my first time to attend a Java conference. That event marked as my first experience in being a volunteer or staff member of the organizers. It was also the moment where I was able to meet the members of the DILNET Staff as well as some students from the DCS Batch 2001.

Now, 4 years had passed. Today, the Netbeans Deep Dive Session and University World Tour will start in about 3 hours at the Makati Shangri-La, the same venue just like last year’s if I remember it correctly.

By the way, the event’s FREE! See you there!