Category: Tech News

  • Uber, GrabTaxi: Disruption isn’t enough

    Uber, GrabTaxi: Disruption isn’t enough

    For a metropolis with run-down trains, horrible traffic, and “choosy” taxi drivers, the app-based Uber and GrabTaxi services give Metro Manila folk a new choice. With a few taps, one could order a private car and get past the usual troubles hailing a taxi or driving one’s own car. The rates are reasonably lower than…

  • ‘Unli’ internet: Telcos reap ‘tubong lugaw’ for Asia’s worst, priciest

    ‘Unli’ internet: Telcos reap ‘tubong lugaw’ for Asia’s worst, priciest

    Consumers, rejoice! The Department of Justice (DOJ) released on Dec. 12, 2014 an Advisory Opinion clearly siding with Filipino internet users against the telco practice of imposing data caps and speed throttling through so-called “fair usage” policies (FUP). The DOJ’s Advisory Opinion practically laid out the legal basis for suing the telcos over the arbitrary “limits” they impose…

  • Join the battle for the internet

    I’m joining the battle for the internet today, Sept. 10, to protect net neutrality. You should too. We Filipinos know how slow internet looks and feels like. It will only get worse if we lose net neutrality in the U.S. and the Philippines. Many Philippine websites are hosted in the U.S. or use U.S.-based hosting services.…

  • Draft DTI final report on online sales promotions by bloggers

    The technical working group formed by the Department of Trade and Industry has released a draft final report on the application of DTI rules on the requirement of sales permit for all online sales promotions. In the interest of transparency and to allow as many bloggers to check and react to the draft final report,…

  • Nielsen presents first Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report

    Information and measurement company Nielsen today released in Singapore the first Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report, declaring that widening internet usage is “revolutionizing digital media usage” in the region. According to Nielsen: Rapid technological developments, including high-speed internet access and WiFi, and increasing ownership of connected devices such as smartphones and tablets are revolutionizing digital…

  • Nielsen releases latest PH internet access data

    Global market research company Nielsen today made a pre-release of its Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report which says, among others, that “one in three consumers in the Philippines are now accessing the Internet, with younger demographics significantly more likely to get online than older generations.”

  • On Social Media Day, President Aquino dumps CICT

    The Office of the President announced the abolition of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) today — World Social Media Day and the second day of the National ICT Summit 2011. Today is also President Noynoy Aquino’s first year in office. Tech news portal Newsbytes reports that many in the ICT are shocked…

  • Philippine Digital Strategy 2011-2016

    The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) led other government agencies, private sector representatives and other stakeholders in the launch of the Philippine Digital Strategy 2011-2016 on June 29, 2011 at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel in Mandaluyong City.

  • Full texts of pending ‘Cybercrime’ Prevention bills

    While Filipino netizens are pressing government, Congress included, for action so we could finally have #betterinternet, some Members of Congress want to do something else: Launch a crackdown on vaguely-defined “cybercrimes”. Lawmakers have not given up on their dangerous project and on Feb. 2, the House ICT Committee holds a meeting to tackle seven “cybercrime”…

  • Cherry Mobile unveils Philippines’ first Android tablet-phone, two handsets

    Maverick Philippine handset maker Cherry Mobile tonight unveiled the country’s first Android-powered tablet and two other Android phones. The Superion, priced at P19,990, is powered by Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) and sports the following: Qualcomm MSM 7227 600MHz processor, 512MB ROM/512MB RAM, 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, 16GB expandable to 32MB, 3G/HSDPA, GPS/AGPS, WIFI, Bluetooth, standard mini-USB,…

  • The Philippines’ #sentisabado

    More and more Filipinos are joining Twitter but we have yet to put a distinctive Filipino mark on it, as distinct perhaps as the personalization many Filipinos once did on Friendster and what we do to our phones with themes, icons and ringtones.

  • Triple-SIM Trident just works, offers more under the hood

    Local handset maker Cherry Mobile recently made history by releasing to the market the country’s first triple-SIM cellphone, the Trident. This handset is aimed at those who juggle three handsets to make the most out of the offerings of the country’s three mobile carriers. So instead of buying and maintaining three handsets, Cherry Mobile makes…

  • #juanvote: Filipinos launch first internet-powered election coverage network

    Netizens packed Krispy Kreme Ayala Avenue on May 8 to formally launch #juanvote, arguably the first internet-powered citizens’ coverage of the 2010 elections.

  • HTC Magic from Smart Gold Lite: How I got one and my first impressions

    I really wanted a phone upgrade this year: I wanted a touch phone and one that’s powered by Google’s Android platform. Here’s the story of how I got it in less than an hour, as well as my first impressions of my phone of choice.

  • The Philippines’ social media, internet and mobile statistics

    More and more Filipinos are going online and forming their social networks and here are the numbers that show this reality.

  • Satur Ocampo, activist and netizen

    Ka Satur Ocampo, the respected leftist statesman running for the Senate this year, doesn’t look and act like he’s 70 years old, which he already is. His endurance is obvious in his active leadership and participation in street protests. He’s young at heart, remaining true to the hopefulness of the ranks of young Filipinos to…

  • MMA president Mike Wehrs on trends in mobile and internet marketing

    Mike Wehrs, president and chief executive officer of the global Mobile Marketing Association, today shared with members of the press and bloggers today a presentation on the trends in mobile and internet marketing. The MMA has over 700 members worldwide, including the world’s top companies. Here is Wehrs’ presentation:

  • Filipino bloggers set July 26 as Blog Action Day for real change, not charter change

    On July 26, the eve of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s state of the nation address, bloggers and members of Facebook group Pilipinas Kontra Con-Ass will stage a Cyberprotest and Blog Action Day. Through various means, we wish to say a principled and committed NO to all the naked attempts to deceive the people about the alleged…

  • New cellphone tax in aid of election

    For the past few months, the House committee on oversight quietly studied how revenue agencies could jack up the proceeds from gazillions of pesos in a new tax to be siphoned off from Filipino cellphone users. In its narrow view, the House panel avers that government is not able to check whether the taxes remitted…

  • Comelec told to release PCOS-OMR source code

    Various groups today challenged the Commission on Elections to release the source code of the for the Precinct Count Optical Scan-Optical Mark Reader (PCOS-OMR) technology to be used for the 2010 elections. In a joint statement, the groups said that the source code should be opened to IT professionals and other parties interested in scrutinizing…

  • iBlog5 5th Philippine Blogging Summit at UP Diliman

    Hundreds trooped to the University of the Philippines on Saturday for the iBlog5 5th Philippine Blogging Summit, including my old and new friends friends in the Philippine blogosphere.

  • Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index 2009 Philippines

    Nielsen Media presented anew on Thursday night the highlights of the Yahoo-Nielsen study titled Net Index 2009 Philippines which is touted as “the first in-depth media study of internet users in urban Philippines”. Jay Bautista, executive director of Nielsen Media, presented the results of the study last night before members of IMMAP, journalists and bloggers…