Funny Picture of the Day

Will and Andy vs Will and Andy

For you tennis fans and entertainment fans out there. Check out this charity match by Will Arnett of "Arrested Development" and Andy Roddick vs Will Farrell of "Kicking and Screaming" and Andy Murray.

Ombudsman loses more anti-graft cases

Read this report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It says that in the mid-year report, the Ombudsman 94 of the 194 person whose cases was resolved were acquitted. The cases filed against 44 respondents were dismissed without going to trial and 13 were dismissed during trial.

The Office of the Ombudsman also withdrew 11 cases this year.

Responding to these reports, the Office of the Ombudsman reported that in 2008 a high of 73 percent conviction rate claiming that 406 resulted in convictions while only 147 resulted in acquittals.

But it turns out, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, that 221 of the 406 convictions in 2008 actually involved just one person, a mayor in Quezon province found guilty of ursurpation of official functions of the DENR for issuing permits to transport forest products.

Not a very effective prosecutors are they? They very good at prosecuting small time cases from far away provinces, but none of the big graft and corruption case are ever successful in Metro Manila. I wonder why?

Maybe they should start hiring smarter lawyers or at least honest ones...I doubt it.

Disney to buy Marvel for $4 Billion

Whoa! I just read that Disney is in the process of buying out Marvel Entertainment for $4 Billion.

If the deal goes through, we could see Iron Man, Spider-Man and X-Men side by side with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck! Just kidding, but it could happen. :)

The board of the Disney and Marvel has to approve the deal. But the merger will bring together Marvel's library of world-renowed characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America and X-Men with Disney's creative skill and global portfolio of entertainment properties. So in the future, we might see Spider-Man rides in Disney theme partks.

The deal includes Marvel Studios and we may even see a Disney Pixar made movie of Captain America or the Avengers.

Maybe we'll see a Mickey Mouse doll in one of the future Marvel movies.

Goldmind

I've been watching this show called Goldmind with mentalist Haim Goldenberg. It's an intriguing show. He deals with telepathy, mind reading, etc. Some are basically dealing with subliminal messages and some are just unexplanable.

I guess this shows us that whatever our mind can conceive, the body can achieve.

Amazing Japanese Magician Cyril Takayama

This guy is amazing.

Do Not Laugh Game

Remember the Japanese game show with the MRI I posted? Apparently, there's 25 parts to it. Here's all of them. Crazy Japanese.

Enjoy!

Moldover's Album - Circuit Board Instrument

Imaginative use of CD case to make people buy his CD instead of pirating music.

Arroyo Cleared by Ombudsman on NBN Deal

The Arroyos has been cleared by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on the NBN Deal.

Meanwhile, Romulo Neri has been ordered suspended for misconduct. Benjamin Abalos is caught up in the middle and Jun Lozada is still fighting.

This whole NBN thing is like a telenovela. If they were tv stars, they'd have the following roles.

Merceditas Gutierrez stars as "The savior "

Romulo Neri stars as "The Fall Guy"

Benjamin Abalos stars as "The Scapegoat"

Jun Lozada stars as "The Hero"

It's like a John Grisham novel!

Science In School

Reading "Physics of the Impossible" by Dr. Michio Kaku got me thinking about science. I always loved science. It's usually my best subject in school.

I used to dream of being an astronaut or to be an astronomer. Sadly, there wasn't much opportunity for being any of those in the Philippines. Up until my first year in high school, I had dreamed of being an astronomer or even just owning an astronomical telescope.

My dream of being an astronomer was dashed when I told my Uncle about it and he told me there was no money in it. That's true in a way, since there is no money to be made in being an astronomer in the Philippines. That plus the fact the chicks dig jocks more than geeks.

Anyway, my interest in astronomy waned and got interested in basketball more than planets. They're both round anyway, but with basketball, you get to enjoy it with friends while astronomy is a lonely hobby. That plus the fact that chicks dig basketball players more than geeks.

Second year high school was the worst year for science for me. We were studying biology. Man, I really hated biology. I could never differentiate between families, phylum, phyla or whatever scientific name they had for something. I like dissecting earthworms though.

Third year chemistry was were I fell in love with science again. By then, it was my best subject along with geometry. I owe that to having two great professors in those subject. My chemistry professor made chemistry interesting and funny. He made it easy to memorize stuff by putting in nuances and jokes that you can't help but remember them. I remember his lessons so well that time that I never studied for an exam and always got high marks.

My geometry professor was just as good. She wasn't as funny, but she wasn't boring either. It's just pure logic. She made it easy to remember statements and proving stuff. Quite interesting really. I do remember on the first day of class, she was telling us that geometry was invented by the Egyptians, so if we have a problem with it, don't blame her, blame the Egyptians.

Physics during my senior year was a mix of high and low. Low at the beginning as I was getting my mind around it, but it got better as the school year progressed. We started with the laws of motion, you know, like the second low of motion, F=MA. No? That's Force = Mass x Acceleration. No? Anyway, it was interesting to learn that, but I still had chemistry in the brain, plus I just got off summer vacation so I wasn't really ready to dig into my studies. Plus it's the last year of high school and I wanted it to end already.

By mid year, I was hitting my stride. We were learning electricity, light, sound, heat, etc. Basically, it got more interesting for me and I was actually sorry it had to end by the time I graduated. I thought I found my niche. I wanted to be a physicist. But the word of my uncle loomed back in my head "there's no money in it". Stupid money.

So I ended up doing something entirely different, but my love for science is still here. I'm glad to see there are shows like Mythbusters and Nova. Magazines like Discovery, National Geographic and Popular Science.

My favorite were science shows geared for kids like Bill Nye the science guy. I even remember shows like The Edison Twins.



It's actually more fun to learn things now than before just because we have the Internet. We now have websites about astronomy like Galaxy Zoo where you can help astronomers explore the universe. There's also a ton of cool astronomy related websites. The Hubble Space Telescope website alone has an endless array of astronomical information.

For every branch of learning you want, the Internet is a great equalizer. No longer are certain information limited to a few, but pretty much any information you want you can get with a few clicks. Whether it is quantum physics, biology, chemistry or making an atom bomb. Heck, I didn't even know non-dairy creamer was flammable.



I don't use non-dairy creamer anymore.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Sally's story)

A contestant, Sally, on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" had reached thefinal plateau. If she answered the next question correctly, she would win$1,000,000. If she answered incorrectly, she would pocket only the $25,000 milestone money.

And as she suspected the Million Dollar Question was no pushover. It was, "Which of the following species of birds does not build its own nest, but instead lays its eggs in the nests of other birds? Is it: A) the condorB) the buzzardC) the cuckooD) the vulture"

The woman was on the spot. She did not know the answer. She had used up her 50/50 Lifeline and her Ask the Audience Lifeline.. All that remained was her Phone-a-Friend Lifeline. She hoped she would not have to use it because . . . her friend was, well, a blonde. But she had no alternative.

She called her friend and gave her the question and the four choices. The blonde responded unhesitatingly: "That's easy. The answer is C: the cuckoo."

The contestant had to make a decision and make it fast. She considered employing a reverse strategy and giving any answer except the one that her friend had given her. And considering her friend was a blonde that would seem to be the logical thing to do. But her friend had responded with such confidence, such certitude, that the contestant could not help but be convinced.

Crossing her fingers, the contestant said, "C: The cuckoo." "Is that your final answer?"

"Yes, that is my final answer."

"That answer is Absolutely correct! You are now a millionaire!"

Three days later, the contestant hosted a party for her family and friends, including the blonde who had helped her win the million dollars.

"Jeni, I just do not know how to thank you," said the contestant. "How did you happen to know the right answer?"

"Oh, come on," said the blonde. "Everybody knows that cuckoos don't build nests. They live in clocks."

Sally fainted.

Dr. Michio Kaku: 3 types of Extraterrestrial Civilizations

Interesting video of Dr. Michio Kaku explaining extraterrestrial civilizations and humanity's future into the transition to a type 1 civilization.

Physics of the Impossible

I just started reading a book called "Physics of the Impossible" by Dr. Michio Kaku. If you watch a lot of science shows like Discovery Channel or Nova. You may have seen him before. He is a theoretical physicist, best-selling author and co-founder of string field theory.

I only read a couple of pages so far but the ideas are fascinating. He basically divides the impossibles into three categories. Class I, Class II and Class III impossibilities.

Class I impossibilities are technologies that are impossible today but that do not violate the known laws of physics. They may be possible in this century or the next in modified form. These includes teleportation, antimatter engines, certain forms of telepathy, psychokinesis and invisibility.

Class II impossibilities are technologies that sit on the very edge of our understanding of the physical world. If they are possible at all, they might be realized on a scale of a million years in the future. They include time machines, hyperspace travel, and travel through wormholes.

Class III impossibilities are technologies that violate the known laws of physics. As per the book, there are surprisingly few such impossible technologies. If they turn out to be possible, it would represent a fundamental shift in our understanding of physics. These include perpetual motion machines and precognition.

I have skimmed the book and it does not include any mathematical equations which makes it easy to read and understand. The language is not very hard and any sci-fi enthusiast would easily understand it.

I have found a lot of theoretical physicist who writes books that are for public consumption and not for university use has learned to explain things in a language the common man can understand. I could be wrong, but I think Stephen Hawking was the first one to do this with his book "A Brief History of Time".

It might be weird to some, but I find books like these to be fascinating and relaxing to read. More in line with reading a Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum novel. Exciting, not much brain work needed and just fun.

Here's a video of his interview about the book.

Pinoy Humor From Philstar

It’s easy to see how witty and humorous Pinoys can be. Simply look around and you can see them in the signs, such as the following listed for Funfare by a reader (who calls him/herself “bambiC”): • A parlor in San Juan: Cut & Face • A wholesaler of balut in Sto. Tomas, Batangas: Starduck • A small Internet café: Cafe Pindot • A laundry in Manila: Summa Cum Laundry • A noodle restaurant in Pampanga: Mekeni Rogers • A restaurant in Pasig: Johnny’s Fried Chicken, The “Fried” of Marikina • A boxing gym in Taguig: Blow Jab • A tombstone maker in Antipolo: Lito Lapida • A copy center in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City: Pakopya ni Edgar • A kambingan : Sa Goat Kita • A salon somewhere: Curl Up And Dye • A store selling feeds for chicken along Sucat Road: Robocock • A shoe repair in Marikina: Dr. Shoe-Bago • A shoe repair shop along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City: SHOEPERMAN (We will HEEL you, save your SOLE, and even DYE for you) • A petshop: Petness First • A flower shop: Susan’s Roses • A taxicab: Income Taxi • A second-hand watch store: 2nd Time Around • A squid stall in a wet market: Pusit to the Limit • A lawyer’s extension office: Nota Republic • A ceiling installer: Kisame Street • A car-repair shop: Bangga ka ‘day! • An aquatic pet store in Malolos: Fish Be With You • A fishball cart along P. Campa St., near UST: Eat My Balls • A barber shop in Cagayan de Oro: Pinoy Big Barber • A resto in Baclaran: The Last Sup per • A party-needs business: Balloon-Balloonan • A Chinese restaurant in Pasig: Lah-Fang • A store selling fresh chicken, apparently owned by a woman named Dina: Dina Fresh Chicken • A Hair Salon in Makati: Hair We Go Again (Note from your columnist: And if ever Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde went into the water-purifying business, how would she call it? Ano pa, eh, di Water Lily!Hahahahaha!)

This is Why You Should Be Careful With What You Say on Facebook

Infographic on Physical Storage vs Digital Storage

Here's and interesting infographic from Mozyblog on physical storage vs digital storage.

We've come a long way haven't we? Soon we'll have holographic storage which can hold even more info.

Funny MRI from Japanese Gameshow

Funny Picture of the Day

Poodles Made to Look Like Camels, Pandas and Horses

I wonder what people are thinking when they did this to these poor animals.

More photos here.

How's a USB Flash Drive Made?

I found a video of trip to the Kingston Production Plant.

80's Music Videos

Just saw this website which has a collection of 80's music videos. You might enjoy this.

80's Music Videos

Does Anybody Know What This Sign Means?

Grade 6 passing grade now pegged at 66%

Just read from the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the passing grade for grade 6 has now been lowered to 66% from 75%.

This was the average passing score in the National Achievement Test (NAT) administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) last year for Grade 6.

Officials said that 66% was actually an improvement from the previous year.

This is just pathetic. Since students can't pass basic elementary knowledge, they would just lower the passing grade to get more students to get to the next level instead of improving the learning conditions, schools and better teaching methods? Makes sense doesn't it? Let's just lower the standard so that by magic, now the problem is gone!

This is the administration we are in, same magic that happened when the DepEd reported a shortage in classrooms and GMA got angry. A few days later, oops! We made the mistake in the calculation, there's not classroom shortage!

This is like what they're doing in America with their "No child left behind". They'll do whatever they can to get students to pass the national exams so their schools doesn't get penalized with budget cuts.

Why is it that Filipinos love to emulate the bad stuff going on in a country instead of the good stuff?

You know, the solution is very simple. Low passing grade? Pay the teachers more so that you get high quality teachers. Build more schools to students have the space to learn. Buy them better books, not books riddled with errors. Teach them in their native language if that will make it better for them. Have more educational TV shows especially on government TV networks and less S-Files and Wowowee.

Not enough money? Instead of spending money building waiting sheds and basketball courts. Build libraries or study halls. Or use the money to hire tutors for the students for after school. Instead of using the money to print banners greeting happy birthday to the mayor, use that money to buy more books or food for the students.

Oh, but that would never happen right? The government officials has to have their mansions. We can't lower their standard of living. It's not their problem, it's someone else is problem.

Unfortunately, it all becomes our problem.

Steven Seagal: Lawman on A&E

This is awesome! Steven Seagal has a new reality show called Lawman that will chronicle his life in law enforcment.

Nokia Enters Netbook Market

Nokia announced today the release of the Nokia Booklet 3G.



It's a netbook using the Intel Atom processor with up to 12 hours of battery life. It features 10.1 Hd ready glass display, HDMI port, Bluetooth, SD card reader, webcam, just a little over 2cm thin and weighing 1.25kg.


Because it's from Nokia, it includes integrated 3G/HSPA and Wifi. It also has a hot-swappable SIM card.


It features an aluminum casing so they probably took some ideas from Apple but it has a distinctive Nokia look.


The netbook market is getting more and more exciting.

Here's the full press release.

A Well-Planned Retirement

A Well-Planned Retirement (From The London Times:)

Outside the Bristol Zoo, in England, there is a parking lot for 150 cars and 8 coaches, or buses.
It was manned by a very pleasant attendant with a ticket machine charging cars £1 (about $1.40) and coaches £5 (about $7).

This parking attendant worked there solid for all of 25 years. Then, one day, he just didn't turn up for work.

"Oh well", said Bristol Zoo Management - "we'd better phone up the City Council and get them to send a new parking attendant . . . "

"Err . . . no", said the Council, "that parking lot is your responsibility."

"Err . . . no", said Bristol Zoo Management, "the attendant was employed by the City Council, wasn't he?"

"Err . . . no!" insisted the Council.

Sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain (presumably), is a man who had been taking the parking lot fees, estimated at £400 (about $560) per day at Bristol Zoo for the last 25 years. Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over £3.6 million ($7 million - or $280,000 every year for 25 years)!

And no one even knows his name.

Bending Rules for Success Only in RP

I read this article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer about Sen. Mar Roxas doing a town hall meeting. He spoke about the evils of corruption and the importance of sticking to rules in order to get ahead in life—except that in the Philippines, bending the rules is what seems to guarantee success.

He was talking about how his grandmother was teaching him how to cook rice when he was young and that to cook good rice, you should follow the rule on how much water to put in.

He said that following a set of rules in society should produce similarly good results.

“That’s how society develops … If you follow the rules, you’d get ahead in life. But in our country, if you follow the rules, you’re at a disadvantage.” he said.

That's funny. So I guess the reason he is doing pre-election campaigning and informercials is because he doesn't want to be at a disadvantage?

Sure...he hasn't filed for his candidacy. Sure...he isn't campaigning early, just giving out info for the public. Sure...

Funny one should talk about following rules while not following the spirit of the law.

Unfortunately, this is the state of Philippine politics. Sen. Mar Roxas may be one of the most qualified to run the country based on his credentials. But his actions alone leaves much to be desired.

There's a difference between saying what you do and doing what you say.

Snow Leopard is Shipping

Apple is taking orders for Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard is available August 28, 2009. I guess the rumors sites are correct on this one.

Apple originally announced it will be available September 2009. I guess they're trying to get in earlier to take the thunder away from Microsoft before comes out with Windows 7.

Snow Leopard is available for $29.

Dual Core Netbook

Just saw this from CNET, Shenzhen Weibu Electronics is coming out with a Netbook that uses dual core Intel Atom 330 processor and the NVidia 9400M graphics, the same graphics used in Apple's Macbooks.

The specs are Atom 330 1.6Ghz, 1Gb memory, 150Gb hard drive, webcam and 802.11 b/g. Selling for around $530 and no operating system installed.

This is how a netbook should be. The slow Atom 270/280 are really insufficient for daily use and is one of the reasons I haven't jumped into the netbook market.

Here's the article from CNET and if you can read Japanese, from the Japanese technology website Akiba Hotline.

3 men of God running

Just read this news on the Philippine Daily Inquirer that 3 men of God are running for President of the Philippines. They are Eduardo “Brother Eddie” Villanueva of the born-again Jesus is Lord Movement; self-styled El Shaddai born-again evangelist Mariano “Brother Mike” Velarde; and a Catholic priest-turned-politician, Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio.

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The Story of Maths

Just saw this show on BBC. Children are so lucky today, they have so many resources for learning.

Apple Answers the FCC’s Questions

The ongoing controversy about the Apple iPhone, App store and the rejection of Google Voice has brought a lot of bad press to Apple. Apple is also being investigated by the FCC.

Today, Apple has put out a press release answering questions from the FCC.

Here some summary of the answers based on the FCC questions.

1. Google Voice wasn't rejected. It just hasn't been approved yet. It's still under review because it changes the whole interface for calling which Apple has worked very hard to make.

2. AT&T has not decision whatsoever in approving or rejecting iPhone apps.

3. Apple alone makes the final decision on approving or rejecting iPhone apps.

4. Apple does not know if Google Voice has VOIP. But it has already approved several other VOIP apps like Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall.

5. Some other applications that has been rejected:

• Twittelator - Rejected at first because of crashed, later approved once fixed.
• iLoveWifi - Rejected because using undocumented application protocol. Has not been resubmitted.
• Slingplayer mobile - Initially rejected because redirecting TV signal through AT&T network which is prohibited under AT&T's customer TOS. Subsequently fixed application for Wifi only and approved.
• Lingerie Fantasy Video - Intially rejected because of nudity, subsequently changed and approved with 17+ rating.

6. There is a guideline for developers in the developer agreement. There are numerous technical and legal requirement that applications must comply with, and Apple uses these standards in considering whether or not to approve applications.

Here's the full press release.

Today Apple filed with the FCC the following answers to their questions.
We are pleased to respond to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau’s inquiry dated July 31, 2009, requesting information regarding Apple’s App Store and its application approval process. In order to give the Bureau some context for our responses, we begin with some background information about the iPhone and the App Store.

Apple’s goal is to provide our customers with the best possible user experience. We have been able to do this by designing the hardware and software in our products to work together seamlessly. The iPhone is a great example of this. It has established a new standard for what a mobile device can be—an integrated device with a phone, a full web browser, HTML email, an iPod, and more, all delivered with Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch user interface.

Apple then introduced something altogether new—the App Store—to give consumers additional functionality and benefits from the iPhone’s revolutionary technology. The App Store has been more successful than anyone could have ever imagined. Today, just over a year since opening, the App Store offers over 65,000 iPhone applications, and customers have downloaded over 1.5 billion applications.

The App Store provides a frictionless distribution network that levels the playing field for individual and large developers of mobile applications. We provide every developer with the same software that we use to create our own iPhone applications. The App Store offers an innovative business model that allows developers to set their own price and keep more (far more in most cases) of the revenue than traditional business models. In little more than a year, we have raised the bar for consumers’ rich mobile experience beyond what we or anyone else ever imagined in both scale and quality. Apple’s innovation has also fostered competition as other companies (e.g., Nokia, Microsoft, RIM, Palm and Verizon) seek to develop their own mobile platforms and launch their own application stores.

Apple works with network providers around the world so that iPhone users have access to a cellular network. In the United States, we struck a groundbreaking deal with AT&T in 2006 that gives Apple the freedom to decide which software to make available for the iPhone. This was an industry first.

We created an approval process that reviews every application submitted to Apple for the App Store in order to protect consumer privacy, safeguard children from inappropriate content, and avoid applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. Some types of content such as pornography are rejected outright from the App Store, while others such as graphic combat scenes in action games may be approved but with an appropriate age rating. Most rejections are based on bugs found in the applications. When there is an issue, we try to provide the developer with helpful feedback so they can modify the application in order for us to approve it. 95% of applications are approved within 14 days of their submission.

We’re covering new ground and doing things that had never been done before. Many of the issues we face are difficult and new, and while we may make occasional mistakes, we try to learn from them and continually improve.

In response to your specific questions, we would like to offer the following:

Question 1. Why did Apple reject the Google Voice application for iPhone and remove related third-party applications from its App Store? In addition to Google Voice, which related third-party applications were removed or have been rejected? Please provide the specific name of each application and the contact information for the developer.

Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it. The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail. Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone. For example, on an iPhone, the “Phone” icon that is always shown at the bottom of the Home Screen launches Apple’s mobile telephone application, providing access to Favorites, Recents, Contacts, a Keypad, and Visual Voicemail. The Google Voice application replaces Apple’s Visual Voicemail by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail from being stored on the iPhone, i.e., disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail. Similarly, SMS text messages are managed through the Google hub—replacing the iPhone’s text messaging feature. In addition, the iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways. These factors present several new issues and questions to us that we are still pondering at this time.

The following applications also fall into this category.

Name: GVDialer / GVDialer LiteDeveloper: MobileMaxinfo@mobile-mx.com
Name: VoiceCentralDeveloper: Riverturn, Inc.4819 Emperor Blvd., Suite 400Durham, NC 27703
Name: GV Mobile / GV Mobile FreeDeveloper: Sean Kovacssean@seankovacs.com

We are continuing to study the Google Voice application and its potential impact on the iPhone user experience. Google is of course free to provide Google Voice on the iPhone as a web application through Apple’s Safari browser, just as they do for desktop PCs, or to provide its “Google-branded” user experience on other phones, including Android-based phones, and let consumers make their choices.

Question 2. Did Apple act alone, or in consultation with AT&T, in deciding to reject the Google Voice application and related applications? If the latter, please describe the communications between Apple and AT&T in connection with the decision to reject Google Voice. Are there any contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T that affected Apple’s decision in this matter?

Apple is acting alone and has not consulted with AT&T about whether or not to approve the Google Voice application. No contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T have been a factor in Apple’s decision-making process in this matter.

Question 3. Does AT&T have any role in the approval of iPhone applications generally (or in certain cases)? If so, under what circumstances, and what role does it play? What roles are specified in the contractual provisions between Apple and AT&T (or any non-contractual understandings) regarding the consideration of particular iPhone applications?

Apple alone makes the final decisions to approve or not approve iPhone applications.

There is a provision in Apple’s agreement with AT&T that obligates Apple not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T’s cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&T’s permission. Apple honors this obligation, in addition to respecting AT&T’s customer Terms of Service, which, for example, prohibit an AT&T customer from using AT&T’s cellular service to redirect a TV signal to an iPhone. From time to time, AT&T has expressed concerns regarding network efficiency and potential network congestion associated with certain applications, and Apple takes such concerns into consideration.

Question 4. Please explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone. Are any of the approved VoIP applications allowed to operate on AT&T’s 3G network?

Apple does not know if there is a VoIP element in the way the Google Voice application routes calls and messages, and whether VoIP technology is used over the 3G network by the application. Apple has approved numerous standard VoIP applications (such as Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall) for use over WiFi, but not over AT&T’s 3G network.

Question 5. What other applications have been rejected for use on the iPhone and for what reasons? Is there a list of prohibited applications or of categories of applications that is provided to potential vendors/developers? If so, is this posted on the iTunes website or otherwise disclosed to consumers?

In a little more than a year, the App Store has grown to become the world’s largest wireless applications store, with over 65,000 applications. We’ve rejected applications for a variety of reasons. Most rejections are based on the application containing quality issues or software bugs, while other rejections involve protecting consumer privacy, safeguarding children from inappropriate content, and avoiding applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. Given the volume and variety of technical issues, most of the review process is consumed with quality issues and software bugs, and providing feedback to developers so they can fix applications. Applications that are fixed and resubmitted are approved.

The following is a list of representative applications that have been rejected as originally submitted and their current status:

Twittelator, by Stone Design Corp., was initially rejected because it crashed during loading, but the developer subsequently fixed the application and it has been approved;

iLoveWiFi!, by iCloseBy LLC, was rejected because it used undocumented application protocols (it has not been resubmitted as of the date of this letter);

SlingPlayer Mobile, by Sling Media, was initially rejected because redirecting a TV signal to an iPhone using AT&T’s cellular network is prohibited by AT&T’s customer Terms of Service, but the developer subsequently fixed the application to use WiFi only and it has been approved; and

Lingerie Fantasy Video (Lite), by On The Go Girls, LLC, was initially rejected because it displayed nudity and explicit sexual content, but the developer subsequently fixed the application and it has been approved with the use of a 17+ age rating.

Apple provides explicit language in its agreement with iPhone developers regarding prohibited categories of applications, for example:

“Applications may be rejected if they contain content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, sounds, etc.) that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory; and

Applications must not contain any malware, malicious or harmful code, program, or other internal component (e.g. computer viruses, trojan horses, ‘backdoors’) which could damage, destroy, or adversely affect other software, firmware, hardware, data, systems, services, or networks.”

And we also provide a reference library that can be accessed by members of the iPhone Developer Program that lists helpful information such as Best Practices and How To Get Started.
Question 6. What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications? What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)? What is the percentage of applications that are rejected? What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?

As discussed in the response to Question 5, Apple provides guidelines to developers in our developer agreement as well as on its web site regarding prohibited categories of applications. These materials also contain numerous other provisions regarding technical and legal requirements that applications must comply with, and Apple uses these standards in considering whether or not to approve applications.

Apple developed a comprehensive review process that looks at every iPhone application that is submitted to Apple. Applications and marketing text are submitted through a web interface. Submitted applications undergo a rigorous review process that tests for vulnerabilities such as software bugs, instability on the iPhone platform, and the use of unauthorized protocols. Applications are also reviewed to try to prevent privacy issues, safeguard children from exposure to inappropriate content, and avoid applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. There are more than 40 full-time trained reviewers, and at least two different reviewers study each application so that the review process is applied uniformly. Apple also established an App Store executive review board that determines procedures and sets policy for the review process, as well as reviews applications that are escalated to the board because they raise new or complex issues. The review board meets weekly and is comprised of senior management with responsibilities for the App Store. 95% of applications are approved within 14 days of being submitted.

If we find that an application has a problem, for example, a software bug that crashes the application, we send the developer a note describing the reason why the application will not be approved as submitted. In many cases we are able to provide specific guidance about how the developer can fix the application. We also let them know they can contact the app review team or technical support, or they can write to us for further guidance.

Apple generally spends most of the review period making sure that the applications function properly, and working with developers to fix quality issues and software bugs in applications. We receive about 8,500 new applications and updates every week, and roughly 20% of them are not approved as originally submitted. In little more than a year, we have reviewed more than 200,000 applications and updates.

Google's Response to the FCC

Here's the full response of Google to the FCC regarding Google Voice and the iPhone.

Google Response to FCC

AT&T Response to FCC Regarding iPhone

Here is a summary of AT&T's response to the FCC regarding the iPhone.

WASHINGTON, DC – On July 31, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued letters to Apple, AT&T and Google with a series of questions about the Google Voice app and Apple’s App Store approval process. AT&T today responded to the questions raised in the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau letter. The following statement may be attributed to Jim Cicconi, AT&T senior executive vice president, external and legislative affairs:

“We appreciate the opportunity to clear up misconceptions related to an application Google submitted to Apple for inclusion in the Apple App Store. We fully support the FCC’s goal of getting the facts and data necessary to inform its policymaking.

“To that end, let me state unequivocally, AT&T had no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application for inclusion in the Apple App Store. AT&T was not asked about the matter by Apple at any time, nor did we offer any view one way or the other.

“AT&T does not block consumers from accessing any lawful website on the Internet. Consumers can download or launch a multitude of compatible applications directly from the Internet, including Google Voice, through any web-enabled wireless device. As a result, any AT&T customer may access and use Google Voice on any web-enabled device operating on AT&T’s network, including the iPhone, by launching the application through their web browser, without the need to use the Apple App Store.”

Here's the full filing.

ATT Response to FCC iPhone Letter 082109 as Filed

Sci-fi and Time Travel

I was watching Star Trek:TNG and ST:DS9 last night. Both episodes were about time travel.

In Star Trek:TNG, Picard was jumping to the past, present and future. Seeing things that may or may not have happened.

In Star Trek:DS9, Chief O'Brien was jumping forward 5 hours into the future and then returning to the present. In both cases, there were some sort of sub-space anomaly that triggered their jump through time.

I know these shows are science fiction and it's not real. But it got me thinking. Why is it that in these shows, most time travel happens in space or in another planet? Could it be that time travel happens whenever there is a phenomenon out there in the far reaches of space?

From my understanding of physics, time is affected as gravity gets stronger. Such as Einstein's theory that if person A is travelling to the event horizon of a black hole and because of the strong gravitational forces, person A, near the event horizon thinks time is constant, but an observer, person B, far from the event horizon will see that the person near the event horizon takes a long time to reach it to the point that he seems to have stopped.

So when person A returns back to the place where person B is, more time has passed for person B than for person A. So what might have been a 1 day trip for person A, could have been 10 years for person B.

So because the solar system has none of these strong gravitational forces. It got me wondering on whether Earth is unique in supporting life because it has a lot of stable systems? Stable atmosphere, biosphere, weather, gravity, planetary system and stable temporal system.

It would be hard to life to exist if time keeps jumping forward and back. Or if time is too fast or too slow.

Sean Connery Then and Now

He never aged!

The Meaning of Hypocrite

Someone called me a hypocrite today because I posted a link to Conrado de Quiros' column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

She said that "Isn't it enough that you left the Philippines because you hate the country so much? Given that that's the case, why not just lay off all in constantly condemning the country of your birth. You're such a hypocrite!"

She called me a hypocrite. No, I'm not a hypocrite. Asshole, maybe. Jerk, sometimes. Dumb ass...come to think of it, my wife calls me that a lot. But no, certainly not a hypocrite.

Let's see now...according to the dictionary, this is the meaning of the word hypocrite.

Hypocrite - a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

So a hypocrite is a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc that he does not actually posses.

Let's see now. Do I pretend be be to be virtuous? No, I try to live a virtuous life. But only a God can be truly virtuous.

Do I pretend to be moral? No, I don't pretend to be moral because I'm not immoral. I try live a moral life. I don't steal, I don't lie, I don't kill nor do I pretend to be pious but then go out and drink, gamble and be with different women.

Do I pretend about my religious beliefs? No. Because I don't pretend to believe something I don't.

Do I pretend to have principles? No, since I already posses it.

In another dictionary, hypocrite means a person who pretends to be what he or she is not.

In the context of the comment about me. The word hypocrite has no basis. I don't pretend to be something I'm not. I don't pretend to be an American, European, Canadian, Chinese, Japanese or Martian and then say something bad about the Philippines. When someone ask me what nationality or what country I came from, I tell them I'm from the Philippines.

I'm not like other Filipinos who say they're Americans because they now live in the US. I say I'm a Filipino.

I speak Filipino fluently and I have no foreign accent. My kumpare is Filipino, my friends are Filipinos, my clients are Filipinos. While I prefer to write in English since my generation was taught English in school, wala akong problema mag sulat sa Pilipino.

I write better in English than in Filipino though. So I'll stick to that.

Her comment about me leaving the Philippines because I hate it so much is also incorrect. I did not leave the Philippines because I hate the country. On the contrary, I love it so much I go back to the Philippines a lot.

I left the country because I'm sick and tired of the system. I cannot live in a system that is corrupt and immoral. I don't want to raise my children thinking that cheating is OK. Remember "I am sorry"?

I also don't want to raise my children thinking that bribery is a way of life nor spending $20,000 on lavish dinners while 3 million people are starving is just business as usual. They didn't even bat an eyelash nor apologized for it. They even felt it was their right.

I left the country because I'm tired of the massive amount of pollution we have. Not only of the air, water and noise, but the pollution of the mind. (Wowowee, S-Files, etc).

Is it right that we see young girls dancing the spaghetti dance?



You may think it's cute, but I don't. We condemn women who dance suggestively on TV, but we find 10 year old girls dancing that cute. That's hypocrisy.

And no, I won't lay off the Philippines. Like I said on my reply. I don't condemn the Philippines the country. I condemn the Philippine politicians and the idiots who run the country. Those are the true hypocrites. They pretend to be virtuous while accepting bribes. Pretend to be angry at the sex video of Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili, but they have a harem of mistresses.

I won't stop writing about those idiots because I care for the Philippines. The day I stop caring about the Philippines is the day I stop writing about the Philippines.

May Araw Din Kayo

I read Conrado de Quiros' column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer all the time. He always writes in English. But he wrote an article the other day in full Tagalog and I must say, that's probably one of the best columns he's written.

Read the complete column here.

Sinong Mas Sincere?

Sinong mas sincere?

Sino!?

Nag tatanong lang Po.

Japan Crazy Machine

Saw this on Youtube.

Palace slams media on NY Food Bill

In this article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Malacanang Palace is slamming the media on why they are quibbling over a few thousand dollars when, according to them, GMA has brought in billions of dollars in investments in return.

On the article, it says “Whatever monies may have been spent for the appropriately ceremonious conduct of her official trip abroad are but a tiny fraction of the billions of pesos she has committed, and will continue to commit, to the alleviation of hunger and the amelioration of poverty in our country,” Anthony Golez, a deputy spokesperson of Ms Arroyo, said Thursday, reading from a statement at a media briefing.

What does that the dinner have to do with the investments and the billions committed to alleviate hunger? This just shows how numb and insensitive they are.

The Palace said that the dinner was paid for by Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez who had footed the bill at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Washington.

If it was a Philippine Congressman that footed the bill, what investments are we talking about? Investments in GMA's campaign?

Anthony Golez, a deputy spokesperson of Ms Arroyo said that GMA did not bother with the cost of the dinner out of respect since you don't ask your host how they paid or how much they paid for the dinner.

My question is, shouldn't the leader set an example to their followers? It's not as if GMA is someone from the slums who doesn't know the difference between a regular meal compared to a gourmet meal that is worth over $15,000. Gimme a break! She could have stopped it right there and said that this doesn't look appropriate.

But she won't, she's numb. They're all numb.

Whether they spent their own money or the public's money. This just completely shows total lack of propriety on their part. If they insist that GMA didn't pay for the dinner, then Rep. Danilo Suarez should be investigated on how he can afford to pay for that kind of dinner and whose money he spent and why so much.

This is completely unethical. But then again, when did ethics ever come into play in Philippine politics?

Insurance and the Right for Fair Settlement

I was reading this article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer about a construction crane that fell from a building and hit a car below on Topaz Road near Robinson's Galleria almost killing the passengers which included an infant and a grandmother.

The only protection for the construction was a catchment net to protect passing vehicles and pedestrians from falling debris.

The company who was running the crane offered to pay to replace the damaged car.

The writer goes on to say how this kind of settlement shows how primitive the state of the tort liability law of the Philippines and its enforcement. He also said that the measly settlement was an insult to the victims and the public.

In the US, if something like this happens, the settlement would have been in the millions. The lawsuit would have been for criminal negligence and punitive damages.

Based on what the writer said, the problem the Philippines doesn't have a stronger tort law is the fear that the Philippines might become what is happening in the US like in the case of the woman who spilled coffee on herself and sued McDonald's and won $2.7 million in punitive damages.

The fear is if this was the case, local businesses may not be able to survive and that only the insurance companies would benefit.

While that may be true up to a point, the fact is, businesses and companies insure themselves exactly for this type of liabilities. In the US, most business generally buy liability insurance in the event they are proven to be negligent of their duties. Either in product liabilities or failure to provide a proper service.

For example, a US doctor buys malpractice insurance in the event he provides a bad service. The insurance protects the doctor from financial loss and the patient is protected financially in the event of a medical malpractice.

Now, the insurance company gains for making money when the doctor pays the premium. But the insurance company is also at risk in case they were to insure a doctor who is totally negligent. So the insurance company who of course wants to profit will make sure the doctor is competent and is doing industry standard procedures to protect themselves from loss.

In the event that the doctor has made several claims, his rates will increase to the point it will hurt or he will be declined coverage by his insurance company. In which case, he can no longer practice medicine as by law, doctors are required to have malpractice insurance before they can practice.

It's the same with companies selling products. Like when Ford had that problem with tires blowing up in their SUVs. Their insurance companies paid for the claim and not necessarily Ford itself.

I can just imagine, if the Philippines had a stronger tort law. We wouldn't have vehicles parked on the sidewalk since they pose an obstruction. If a pedestrian were to get into an accident because he can't use the sidewalk, he can sue the pants of the owner of the vehicle. I'm sure after that, nobody is going to park on the sidewalk again.

Another would be stupid traffic lights that don't work where you get into an accident because of that and road constructions where there are no signs or people directing traffic.

There also wouldn't be cases of double dead meats being sold on the market and companies will be more careful in how they do business like the oil spill by Petron.

I for one support a more robust insurance industry in the Philippines as insurance provides a wonderful service to individuals and businesses in transferring some financial risk to the insurance companies.

Think about it, there will be no business if there is no insurance. Why? Who would want to risk transporting billions of dollars of oil across the ocean if one single calamity where to sink the ship and wipe you out financially? No one. But by paying a small premium compared to the amount of risk involved, you'd be willing to risk transporting that oil.

How about we put it on a more personal level. If you invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in buying your house. Would you insure it? Of course! If that house burns down, do you have hundreds of thousands of dollars lying around to rebuild the house? Of course that, that would be crazy. And that's why you buy home insurance to protect you in case that happens. How much did it cost you? No more than a few hundred or a thousand a year.

It's about time for the Philippine insurance industry and the Philippine law to wake up. There is a big and undeserved market that needs changes and new regulations. Enough of the cutthroat, underpricing sales tactics that does nothing for the insured and move into the 21st century.

Indian Spiderman

This guy is amazing.

John Steinberg Comedy Now Part 2

Here's the second part.

John Steinberg Comedy Now

Saw this guy on TV. Hilarious!

Too Insecure?

Bruce Lee Table Tennis

Simple Dinner

The $20,000 dinner spent by GMA and company at Le Cirque Restaurant in New York has spark an outrage.

The palace got its spin doctors trying to justify the obscene amount. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said it was a simple dinner.

Let's see: Note: this is a theoretical breakdown of the bill according to the blog of Manuel L. Quezon III.

Simple indeed. Here I thought the fried bangus and tinola I had for dinner was simple. I guess those food are now poor man's food. I should probably be setting my standards higher and eat caviar more often and chug Krug like beer.

GMA's people have of course pointed out that the media is mistaken in taking a theorical computation for a fact. This is how hard they work in making sure GMA has a clean image.

Whether theoretical or not, whether the bill is $10,000 or $30,000. We all know that amount is obscene in light of the fact that 3 million Filipinos are going without food. The mere fact that $20,000 can feed 3,000 families 3 meals a day shows how insensitive GMA and the rest of the Philippine government is to the people.

As they try to spin this, they can't even make up their minds who paid for the dinner. Cerge said that this was "just like any other working dinner". They went from 15 to 20 people to 50 people to make the unit cost go down. Then they said the entourage included the Secret Service agents which would actually make them criminally liable for accepting perks.

Cerge even said that no one had fun and that everyone wolfed down their food in an hour. Riiigghhht..... I take an hour to eat food with my friends and we're only having fish and chips. Did he expect anyone to believe that someone would actually go to a 5 star restaurant and order caviar, lobster and steak with $510 bottles of champagne to just wolf them down and not have fun? Gimme a break! If I was in that restaurant I would have spent at least 3 to 4 hours if I'm going to be spending that much money.

Who are they trying to fool?

Screencap of the very first browser

Here's a screencap of the very first browser created by Tim Berners-Lee.

Those were the days. I remember my first experience with the Internet. I bought OS/2 Warp and subscribed to IBM's Dial-up service just to try it out. It cost $90 for like 20 hours online or something.

I used up the 20 hours and then had no Internet for the next few months. But I was hooked on the Internet and was surprised how much info one can get online.

I got online again when a friend of mine told me he was subscribing to iPhil. I think we were client number 1 and 2. I can't remember how much we pay for it, but it was even better since the Internet has grown a lot more and I discovered Telnet, FTP, IRC, Sega Chat, ARCHIE, etc.

The exploring was the fun part. Now, the Internet is so much a part of our lives, it seems like it's the TV and we take it for granted. We even have to buy magazines listing the IP address and website address of new sites.

Those were the days, where every new site you go to is like finding a new galaxy.

Ameriquest - All 5 Funny Commercials

I saw this commercial and I couldn't stop laughing.

Why you should never add your boss your Facebook

GMA Enjoying The Good Lfe

Saw this report from the New York Post about Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with a large entourage enjoying the good life enjoying expensive bottles of wine and ending up with a bill of $20,000.

What else is new eh?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08072009/gossip/pagesix/eat_and_drink_183333.htm

Seven of the Fattiest Sandwiches in the U.S. - DivineCaroline

Check out this article. No wonder America is so fat.

"Add Comments or Questions"

These days, many of us have less money to spend on the necessities of life, like food. This means that when we eat out, what...

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James Mays rides in a U2 spy plane

Top Gear is one of the best shows ever. If you love cars and have a need for speed, nothing beats this show.

It's episodes like this that makes it even better.



If you are an adventure junkie, then nothing beats going to the edge of space on a U2 spyplane.

Giant Waterslide Jump

I don't know if this is real, but it is amazing.

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Willie requests removal of live coverage of Tita Cory's motorcade in Wowowee