The Geek Brewery

Hey, I’m doing my first post using the WordPress app I just downloaded from the Android Market!

The app is really intuitive. It’s very easy to add a blog, no need to edit WordPress settings or install a plugin on your blog. It works for wordpress.com and self-hosted WordPress blogs. Soon when I have access to my laptop I’ll grab a screenshot and post it here.

The physical keyboard of the Android Dev Phone 1 (an HTC Dream variant) makes it easy to write this post. Up to now I’m still not used to the touchscreen on-screen keyboard of this one, unlike the Nexus One. Maybe it’s because of the larger screen.

That’s all I got to say right now. Good night.

Hello guys. I’m gonna talk about a free service which saved me a considerable amount from my SMS expenses, Chikka. I’ve been using this service even way back in elementary, around seven years ago.

For those of you who are already acquainted to Chikka, you know very well that the most popular way to use their free text messaging service is through their very own Chikka Text Messenger. I personally don’t prefer this method because of the following reasons:

• They don’t have a Linux version of their messenger.
• In case you’re a Windows user, you still have to install it.
• Their messenger is also quite bloated, the only functionality I want is to send text messages.
• Lastly, you need to register an account which takes a short time (but then as the famous quote goes, time is gold).

If you frequently login to a chat server that uses XMPP such as GTalk or the chat inside GMail, here’s an easier (for me, at least) way to do things. Basically, you just have to:

• add 63[9-digit-number]@chikkatalk.com as your buddy, and
• send a chat conversation to your new buddy and you’re done!

No registration needed. You may add as many friends as you want!

Tomorrow is the start of classes for the second semester in UP Diliman. Students will be confronted with new class schedules. Yikes!

Fortunately for those who are lazy enough to take a peek on their form 5 from time to time, there’s this Google Calendar SMS notification for you. Google will text you your next class minutes or hours before your class, based on your preference.

You just need a Google account (which is free) to enjoy this free service! (more…)

This Saturday, September 19, 2009, will be Smart Bro’s B Free Day! The event will be held at the Mega Tent, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas.

Smart Bro will be giving away 10,000 limited edition UAAP & NCAA plug-its (USB 3G modem) at a first come first serve basis. They’re also raffling off free laptops. Free food will also be served. There will also be free rides, free booths and a lot of other freebies. The best thing about this is that admission is free!!

The event is exclusive to college students of the following UAAP and NCAA participating schools:

• Adamson University
• Angeles University Foundation
• Arellano University
• Ateneo de Manila University
• Colegio de San Juan de Letran
• College of Saint Benilde
• De La Salle University
• Emilio Aguinaldo College
• Far Eastern University
• Jose Rizal University
• Mapua Institute of Technology
• National University
• San Beda College
• San Sebastian College – Recoletos
• University of Perpetual Help – Dalta System
• University of Santos Tomas
• University of the East
• University of the Philippines

Don’t forget to wear your school’s color. Validated school ID for the current term is also required. To register for the event, sign up for an access pass.

For more information, visit the B Free Day website.

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I just received a text message from SMART Bonus. The text says:

Wla na po kayong load. Punta na sa pnkamalapit n SmartLoad retailer upang patuloy ang text at tawagan! Pwde p mgkaroon ng FREE 5 txts pg nag-load ka bago mg Sep 17. Ipgsawalang bhla ang msg na to kung nkpg-load n kayo.

SMART is giving me five free texts if I load before September 17? LOL.

It’s been a while since I last topped up my SMART account. I usually use it is a backup whenever the handset linked to my Globe account goes dead.

Globe Telecom recently launched Free Apps, a “portal” where subscribers can download free applications from Globe Labs developers and third-parties. Free Apps website can be accessed online thru your computer or mobile phone. There already have a handful of free apps available for download including my personal favorite, Globe Calls!

Globe Calls is a free app that keeps prefixes of Globe call promos. This means you don’t have to memorize all those prefixes as they are stored on the app itself. You just have to open the app and dial the number from there. As of now, the following promos are in the Globe Calls list:

• Sakto Calls (10 centavos per second, 5 centavos per second on Sundays)
• P10/3 min
• Tawag 236 (P20/20min)
• Unlicalls Nyt

The only problem I see in this app is that it doesn’t have an update option. Once all of those promos terminate, the application becomes useless. New promos are not added on the fly, too. It’s too hassle for end-users to download a version of the app manually everytime new promos are released.

Globe Calls has a Touch Mobile counterpart, TM Calls.

Globe Telecom uses a transparent proxy on it’s http.globe.com.ph access point. This means when you open a website, it passes thru their server for caching or whatever purpose it might server before it reaches your cellphone or computer.

URL of image when not cached.

I’ve noticed though that they replace the URL of images inside <img> tags with another URL on their server for caching. This, in turn, causes some problems with web applications that requires authentication and generates images on the fly such as StatCounter. This replacement/caching process is only done when Globe Telecom detects that you are using a web browser on a computer or on a mobile phone (I curl-ed this website and the output did not have any URL replacements).

URL after caching. Notice, the cached and compressed image is in Globe or a third-party partner’s server.

As a workaround, you can spoof your User-Agent by modifying the headers of your requests. You may do this in Firefox by:

1. Going to about:config. A warning will have to scare you but just continue.
2. Then, find the general.useragent.extra.firefox setting. Using the filter above may help you find it.
3. Once you find it, double click the entry and change it to whatever you want. For it to work, it should not contain words like Mozilla, Firefox, Safari or other web browsers. I’ve changed mine to MikkoFox.

Have fun browsing without cached images.

Last year, the search-engine giant Google launched Google Map Maker in the Philippines. It is an online mapping tool where people collaborate to map the world. Since it’s launch in the country, there has been a lot of moderated user-generated content that Google decided to push the Philippine Map Maker street-level data in some cities to Google Maps. Relative to other online collaboration tools such as Wikimapia, Google Map Maker has lesser vandals courtesy of their reputation and moderation algorithm designed by Googlers.

So what does this mean to the Philippines? To be short and concise, better Google Maps (Google Map Maker, and Google Earth) for us!!!

Google Maps Mobile can be easily installed on Sony Ericsson, Nokia and other compatible phones. All it takes is to download the mobile Java application and poof, you have a map in your hand! That was a lie; the data still lies on Google’s end so you need to have an active data packet connection (preferably 3.5G or 3G but GPRS would do) which I think all telcos in the Philippines offer for a competitive rate (despite different pricing scheme, it still sums up to 20/hour).

With Google Maps, you search, browse and hop thru different cities around the world. You can even plot your location on the map without an embedded GPS on your phone although having one gives more precise coordinates. In the absence of GPS or weak GPS connection, Google uses the cell information [further reading, Youtube video] on the header data of the packets sent by your handset, although this one gives less precise measurements.

There has been a countless times where I personally found this tool useful. I’ve used it to find buildings in the wilderness of the long Ayala Avenue. Another potential use of this app is for route mapping, which sadly isn’t supported yet in Metro Manila.

What do you think about Google Maps on Mobile? Have you used it? Share your insights.

Smart Bro is a wireless internet service provided by Smart Telecommunications, one major player in the Philippine mobile services arena.

Smart Bro connections differ in two types: the fixed antenna and modem usually installed above the house and the USB 3.5G modem, the more handy and truly mobile option.

I happened to use the second type, the USB 3.5G modem, which is actually capable of using 2G (the old-school voice and text), GPRS, EDGE, 3G and 3.5G (HSDPA) signals. I borrowed the 3.5G modem from a high school classmate. I tested the connection at Kalayaan Residence Hall of University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City Philippines.

Specifically, I used Smart Bro’s service in my room which is located on the basement and at the newly renovated lobby. First off, I’ll discuss my internet experience on my room.

Smart Bro @ the basement of Kalayaan Residence Hall

The connection was virtually dead even if it was connected to Smart’s servers. A high school batchmate earlier reported that she can’t connect to the Internet. The inner geek in me went out and suspected the DNS server to be the culprit. I switched to OpenDNS and tadaaa, it worked. (more…)

It’s official, iPhone is coming to town. At last, we’ll see functional non-cracked iPhones in the country.

Here’s an excerpt from Globe Corporate Blog:

Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus to bring iPhone to the region
Manila, 12 May 2008 – Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus today announced that they have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Australia later this year.

More information will be released at a later date.

Woohoo! Smart should also have an agreement with Apple; especially now that 3G iPhones are being released.

[Build that Geek via Migs Mobile Network]