Femme Power

Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

I consider speed as one of the most significant elements in my broadband connection.   That is why even as I plan to get a wireless router to be able to share my broadband connection with a new laptop, I want to make sure that it doesn’t adversely affect my internet browsing speed.

It’s good to know that there are a lot of remarkable wireless router options that I can find online.   I found wireless routers that promise high speed, great coverage, easy installation and configuration.  Some even come with a firewall protection to resist internet attacks.   Two of the most impressive products I found were ZyXEL P330W 802.11g Wireless Router which is compact yet is packed with notable features, and Linksys WRT110 RangePlus which is the router being used by my former call center employer.

Also, I found a buying guide for wireless routers that can be handy for non-techie people like me.  It provides easy-to-understand information about wireless routers and access points.  Information includes not only products and product features but also about wireless network requirements, standards, and many others.

Getting hooked up to the rest of the world is now as fast as a push of a button.   With the help of a wireless router, computers can share an internet connection real quick and easy, making the world even smaller.

The world has become smaller with the help of modern telecommunications technology that we’re luckily enjoying today.  There’s high-speed Internet that connects you to the rest of the world in a flash, plus the ever-popular and evolving telephone service, among others.   Since Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone (which he then called “electrical speech machine”) in 1876, innovations have sprung, even paving way for the Information Superhighway.

Now, more and more ways are found to reinvent the traditional telephone service so we could reach farther places and cover a much larger geographical area minus the huge costs.   VoIP does just that.   That is why VoIP is preferred by businesses that have clients worldwide.  You can make PC-to-PC calls anywhere in the world without charge.  PC-to-phone calls are also possible for a minimal cost compared to the traditional long distance service.  As long as you have broadband connection, you can make and receive calls using VoIP.   Check out Avaya business VOIP phones if you’re thinking of getting a unit for your home or business.

Yay!  I barely noticed that it took me quite a few days to update this blog.   I’ve been too preoccupied with work and home responsibilities that I hardly had any spare time for my blogging pleasures.  Speaking of pleasure, let me share with you this pleasurable yet inexpensive activity we had as a family just recently.

This is my entry for this week’s Fun Friday in our Blogging For Fun Group.  If you want to join, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll introduce you to our group of supportive bloggers.

Have you ever seen a kalesa? A kalesa is a horse-driven carriage popular in the Philippines.  It was introduced by the Spaniards back in the 18th century as one of the modes of transportation here in the Philippines but only nobles and high ranked officials could afford it back then.  Rich Filipinos known as the ilustrados used the kalesa for business and personal travel.   Fortunately today, the kalesa still exists in some tourist spots and rural areas plus riding it is not that pricey anymore for ordinary people.  So last week, our family had the pleasure of touring the river park using the kalesa!

My hubby took us to Marikina Riverbanks where there were two kalesas waiting for patrons.   I didn’t expect to see any of them in our city so I was pleasantly surprised.   And since it was our first time to ride it, we had a blast.   And we only paid P50 each ($1.11).   It was awesome!  I hope more people will patronize the kalesa so that they’ll continue to exist for our children to see and experience.

As usual, I’m not in the picture because I was the frustrated photographer, lol!  But that’s my pleasure. *hugs*

ABS-CBN.  SkyCable.  BayanTel.  First Gen.  Energy Development Corporation. Meralco.   These are but some of the companies that the Lopez Group is associated with in the areas of media and communications, utilities, power generation and distribution, property, construction, manufacturing, and stock transfer services.   Though so big and diverse, now you can read up on them easily through their online publication, LopezLink. 

After browsing LopezLink, I realized that beyond the size and diversity of the Lopez Group lies a heart that propels them in the name of service - Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).   

From Bantay Bata 163 to Earth Hour, Sagip Kapamilya, and many others, the Lopez Group has been at the forefront of outreach and environmental programs through their CSR efforts.   You can see its year-long activites as compiled in the LopezLink 2009 Year End Report .   One of the group’s remarkable CSR efforts is the cleaning up of the Pasig River (Kapit Bisig Para Sa Ilog Pasig) wherein they work alongside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.    I snooped around the LopezLink forum and commented on the thread “Our Own Little Part” which was about curbing the worsening water pollution specifically in Pasig River.

Apart from these, it was also interesting to know that the Lopez Group’s Knowledge Channel and Department of Education renew basic education tools development partnership.  

Have you stumbled upon Globe Broadband’s new and exclusive add-on, Gloo?  Gloo is an online scrapbook collaboration website wherein users can chat, send SMS and MMS messages, doodle, share notes, videos, and pictures in REAL TIME.

Yes, finally there’s an online space where you can do all these without having to open several other applications or social networking sites. No, it’s not anything like Facebook, Sandbox,  or Twitter but it’s more of a real-time online collaboration website that is ideal for virtual group discussions (be it with friends, family, or business partners) because it is not only interactive but is also peppered with helpful tools that let you upload and share images and videos, scribble your thoughts and illustrations, and send MMS and SMS to your online contacts, all in one web application.  All these amazing features make a convenient and practical website if you’re having an online business meeting, or brewing a barkada gimik, or simply hooking up with your family.  While other platforms limit you to chatting or sending short online messages, Gloo lets you do more with all those mentioned features to aid you in your online presentation in a virtual business conference or a casual group discussion.  You can even listen to your favorite tunes and share them with friends and add things-to-do list and post-it notes on your page.

It’s practically handy as a collaboration tool for planning events, business meetings, barkada and family updates, or anything where virtual communication applies.

I’m a self-confessed technologically-challenged mom but using Gloo didn’t give me a hard time at all.   That’s my Gloo page’s screenshot you’re seeing at the top.  I just created an account for free and there I was concocting a reunion party with a friend who’s currently based in Dubai.  She said she could even view my notes, reminders, and pictures on my page while we were chatting so she was amazed.   Those “post-it-notes” could actually hold the discussion agenda and other important information about our reunion plan next time.

Interested? Inquire about Gloo and start enjoying its practicality for free.

Check your email.   Do you have unnecessary messages that are as old as your email account?  Hmm, maybe it’s time for a major cleanup.

A couple of days ago, I had a major crackdown on dust and  trash around the house.  In fact,  I found  some long-forgotten money in the process, teehee.  Now, I have to pull out not the trash bin but the recycle bin of my computer as I clear away  hundreds of 4-year-old emails.  Yikes!  But yes, my email is full of old messages dating back from 2005, can you believe that?

So far, I’ve deleted 500 of them but I still have 3,805 messages left in my inbox.   That’s apart from the other messages in 23 different folders.  Shocks, I have a lot of deleting and organizing to do.

Have you cleaned up and organized your email lately?

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Have you ever lost your house keys or left them inside as you locked the door to leave?  Have you ever gone through the odds of kicking open your door or climbing through the window just to get in? I have.  Much as I hated myself for being forgetful, I couldn’t punish myself more than barging into my own home and doing some damage. Sigh.  How I wish I could open the door by just saying “Open Sesame” or “Alohamora.”

But I’m not in fantasy land nor am I a Harry Potter character. It’s during those instances that I wished I had a  keyless lock, something that secures the house without the need for keys and even codes that I might also forget.  Yes, I’m honestly so forgetful that sometimes I forget even my own age and our wedding anniversary. Can you imagine that?  You have no idea how frustrating it is.  That’s why I keep journals (online and on paper), reminders or notes on my cellphone and post-its regularly because my memory is that bad.  

So as to the house keys, you can just imagine the terrible inconvenience. Of course I’m not that senile yet to forget the keys everyday, it only happened twice.  But who wants it to happen again? Not me. I guess there’s nothing wrong with wanting a brilliant piece of technology that’s available in the market today, is there? A keyless lock which uses our fingerprints for our family’s easy access while securing the house from intruders would be a good alternative to keys.  And if our relatives from Davao pay us a visit and stay with us for a few days, the keyless lock can be programmed to give them access too for that certain period of time. Isn’t that cool?

We don’t need to be a cast of Mission Impossible to experience the advantages of this technology. Now we can have this cool technological advantage to protect our own homes or workplaces if we so choose -  in just a touch of a finger.