the babel machine

Life as a Catalyst at JoeyAlarilla.com

2009-03-21T14:27:00.002+08:00

Please go to my new personal blog at JoeyAlarilla.com

Thanks!

i'm moving

2006-03-12T19:20:00.002+08:00

Goodbye, Blogger. It was fun while it lasted.

Hello, WordPress. It's Erwin Oliva's fault.

Check out The Babel Machine at http://babelmachine.wordpress.com.

Open source, woo-hoo!

got game? we do

2006-03-10T12:28:00.000+08:00

GAME! is here!

Swiped this image of the cover from Jayvee Fernandez's blog. I'll talk a lot more about GAME!, the new, homegrown gaming magazine from Hinge Inquirer Publications, in the next few days, but Jayvee has summed it up quite nicely in his post.

Here's an excerpt:

There were many people involved with the creation of the second local gaming title (the first is Games Master) in the Philippines. But it is also important to note that this is the first all-Filipino gaming magazine. This means that content isn’t syndicated from abroad (unlike Games Master that syndicates some of its content from the West).
Going back to the people involved, there are many many many of them who labored hard, enduring sleepless nights to get this thing conceptualized, laid-out, flattened, CMYK-ed, and printed. There’s Mitch, Aiza, Adel, Poch, Topper, and Joey to name a few, as well as the writers - I apologize if I forget to name all - Karl, Kiven, Ryu, Raphy, Jones, Karen … there’s just so many, I’m overwhelmed at the amount of support you’ve all given.

Read the rest of Jayvee's post.

I'm really excited about the birth of this new gaming magazine, and I truly believe this will be the start of something big. This is a great time to be a gamer.

Nothing I can say, however, will be more eloquent than the mag itself, so grab a copy. It should be available in racks over the next few days -- the mag arrived from the printers just last night -- and, guess what, this mag only costs 80 pesos.

See it. Believe.

inq7 offers rss and gaming gets its due

2006-03-09T10:12:00.000+08:00

Check out my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece.

Here's an excerpt:

WHILE browsing the INQ7.net site, you might be pleasantly surprised -- or puzzled -- to find these letters in orange strategically located in the Breaking News box and other sections: XML/RSS.
What this means is that, after a few months of beta testing, INQ7 has now officially launched its RSS service, offering feeds for the Breaking News; Top Stories; Nation; Metro; Regions; Opinion and Editorial; Entertainment; Infotech and Sports sections, as well as the following special reports: The Pacquiao Files, ULTRA Stampede, Leyte Landslide, Edsa 20, The Good News and State of Emergency.

Read the full story.

does whatever a(n ultimate) spider can...

2006-03-08T19:18:00.000+08:00

Check out my Ultimate Spider-Man review that came out in US-based zine PopMatters.com.

Here's an excerpt:

Once upon a time, lots of kids read comic books.
I know, that's hard to believe in these days when the comic book industry still hasn't really recovered from the crash largely brought about by the excesses of the '90s. And kids are more likely to be playing video games on- or offline, than shelling out money for actual comic books. Which is ironic, considering that the non-comic-book-reading man on the street is likely to dismiss comics as "just for kids", when works such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series and Alan Moore's Watchmen -- one of the all-time 100 best novels (written in the English language, from 1923 up to the present) according to Time magazine -- prove that comics can be a medium for great literature, rather than a genre.

Read the full story.

busy days ahead

2006-03-07T16:33:00.000+08:00

February was a really busy month (see one of the reasons for this) for me, but now it looks that I’ll be even busier in the next few months, apart from the stuff I’m doing for INQ7.net (More multimedia? New sections? Revamped sites? All of the above?).

For one, I’m working on my first book. Inquirer Publications Inc. has signed me up to write a book on e-business, which was commissioned by the Philippine Internet Commerce Society. I’m really excited over this because it’s my first book, plus I came up with a framework and approach for the book that I hope we can pull off -- after all, the execution of whatever idea you have also depends on time and budget constraints. Hope you’ll buy a copy, heh.

The funny thing is that just last week, I was also invited to be part of another book project -- this time to write one of the chapters. And no, this book won’t be technology-related.

Plus I’m cooking up another project with the help of friends and fellow journalists. It’s still too early to give details, but let’s just say I believe in the second coming of dotcoms -- but with a twist.

I’ve also been invited by PICS to be one of the guest speakers at the ICT Business Forum that will be held on March 21 at the Ayala Hall, Makati Sports Club in Makati City as part of the 12th Philippine Internet Anniversary celebration. I was invited, in my capacity as founding president of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association and co-editor of hackenslash, to talk about how online gaming can drive the growth of e-commerce in the Philippines. Hmm, didn’t I just write a column about that, heh.

Proving that when it rains, it pours, Luli Arroyo also invited me to be a guest speaker at the MindShare session on March 15 at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City. MindShare is a joint project of the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development (of which Luli is the director for Operations), AIM, and the Philippine Venture Capital Investment Group.

Luli asked if I could talk about the latest trends in online gaming. You bet I said yes.

It’s gratifying to see that, slowly but surely, we are starting to take gaming more seriously in this country. It’s not a fad, people.

itjournoasia features inq7 @ 5

2006-03-01T13:43:00.000+08:00

ITJournoAsia.com, the trade site for the region's tech journalists, IT companies and PR firms, featured the INQ7 @ 5 anniversary site in their Media News section.

Since ITJournoAsia.com is a password-protected, subscription-only site, I'm reprinting their article here:

Media News
INQ7 looks ahead as it turns 5
By Tan Lili
28/02/2006 11:49:55 AM

While most publications celebrate their birthdays by commemorating the milestones they have achieved, INQ7 hopes to engage its readers on its 5th anniversary by integrating tools to gradually evolve and embrace the Web 2.0 revolution.

To accomplish its hopes, the INQ7 team created a special anniversary website where text, audio and video converged. The project was spearheaded by Joey Alarilla, co-editor of gaming site Hackenslash.net and Infotech columnist at online title INQ7.

“I really wanted the site to showcase the multimedia services that we're offering or will soon be deploying throughout the growing INQ7 network,” said Alarilla.

“The site has an integrated WordPress blog, which we're using to post not only our articles and musings, but, more important, stories and comments from our readers.”

The homepage of the website shows a world map and you can enter the sections – Stories, Videos, Blog, Podcasts and Greetings – when you click on different continents.

Alarilla said one of his postings looked into the future of online journalism and how INQ7 will stay ahead of the curve.

“My post at the start of our blog explains what we're trying to achieve and what we see as the direction for online journalism: to make online publications more relevant to the needs of a new generation of Internet users; integrate online tools such as blogs and podcasts into the news process; and encourage more active participation and user-generated content from readers, but without getting too enamored with the technology.

“We have to embrace change without forgetting the basics of good journalism - the important thing is to tell good stories and provide quality service, whichever medium you may deploy or whatever gadget readers might use to access your content.”

In his blog, Alarilla quoted INQ7’s executive editor, Leo Magno, to talk about both the Old Media and the New Media.

Magno said: “There’s nowhere else to go but forward. I think we have to redefine what the real meaning of media is. You have a billion people online on the Internet and all of them [represent] a potential audience for your website. And you don’t consider that mass media? I don’t know what is.

“There used to be a time a decade ago or more when online newspapers weren’t considered yet really as a medium, as part of traditional media, but I think the distinction is now blurring between New Media and Old Media. It’s only guys like us who’ve been in media for the longest time who refer to it as Old and New Media. But the younger generation who grew up with this kind of medium does not consider it new.”

Like Alarilla, Magno also felt that good journalism should not be neglected even as a surge of new online applications emerge.

“These are just enablers for what people really want to do. What they really want to do is voice out an opinion, or a complaint, or a reaction, or tell their story,” Magno was quoted as saying.

“We’re hearing a lot of buzzwords like citizen journalism, grassroots journalism. A lot of these new tools — we’re going to incorporate and use them more often… I wouldn’t call this journalism per se right now. It has a lot of maturing to do still, but it’s a good start. And the good ones — the good bloggers, the good podcasters — may partner with media.”

Online publication INQ7, launched on February 27, 2001, is a joint venture between the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and the GMA Network broadcast company.

Alarilla can be contacted at joeyalarilla@gmail.com

inq7 is 5 today

2006-02-27T10:26:00.000+08:00

Happy 5th anniversary, INQ7.net.

cory on her way to marines hq

2006-02-26T20:35:00.000+08:00

Former president Corazon Aquino is now on her way to the Philippine Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.

In a telephone interview with GMA-7 radio station dzBB, Aquino said she was on her way there with 20 to 25 people, including Teddy Boy Locsin, Butch Abad and Etta Rosales.

Asked why she was going to Fort Bonifacio, Aquino said she believes in "prayer power." "A lot of us need to be praying tonight," she said, for the peaceful resolution of this situation.

Aquino said she did not know if she would be allowed to enter Fort Bonifacio, since civilians are being driven away from the camp.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

civil society protecting querubin--tv

2006-02-26T18:32:00.000+08:00

Civil society protecting Querubin--TV

MAKATI--Members of civil society are protecting Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, ANC television reports.

standoff at marine hq

2006-02-26T18:25:00.000+08:00

A standoff has developed between Colonel Ariel Querubin and the new Marine chief Brigadier General Nelson Allaga, GMA Network Flash Report says.

GMA Network footage shows several armored vehicles entering the Marine compound in Fort Bonifacio.

querubin calls for people power

2006-02-26T17:48:00.000+08:00

Querubin to public:
'Protect us from aggression'

By Joel Francis Guinto
INQ7.net

A MARINE Colonel implicated in the alleged thwarted plot to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on the public on Sunday to come to Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio to "protect us from aggression."

"I will wait for the people to come here and protect us from aggression," Colonel Ariel Querubin told ANC television.

Querubin said he would be holed up at the Marine Corps headquarters to show support for his former commandant, Major General Renato Miranda, who was relieved upon his request on Sunday.

When asked about the alleged threats of aggression, Querubin said, "I don't know, but I expect that to happen."

Querubin also confirmed that he planned to join street protests last Friday and that he planned to bring along a "majority" of the 400-strong Marine officer corps.

The Marine colonel said he would join protests so that efforts to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "will not turn bloody." He said Miranda tried to dissuade them from doing so.

"We were prevailed upon by General Miranda," he said.

The military had claimed that the street protests last Friday were meant to pressure Military Chief General Generoso Senga to withdraw support from Arroyo, who remains hounded by allegations of electoral fraud.

Another officer, Army Brigadier General Danilo Lim, has been placed under house arrest and relieved as commander of the First Scout Ranger Regiment also for allegedly pressuring Senga to turn against the President.

Querubin calls for ‘people power’
to support relieved Marines chief

By Alcuin Papa Inquirer

Marines Colonel Ariel Querubin on Sunday called for “people power” to protest the relief of Marine commandant Major General Renato Miranda.

Querubin, commander of a Marine brigade based in Lanao del Sur said his act was not a withdrawal of support from the chain of command but to show solidarity to Major General Miranda.

Querubin said he would be staying at the Chapel of the Marines Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.

Miranda was relieved from his post early Sunday afternoon at his request for "personal reasons."

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

marine chief relieved at his request

2006-02-26T17:39:00.000+08:00

Marine chief relieved at his request

By Joel Francis Guinto
INQ7.net

THE COMMANDANT of the battle-tested Philippine Marine Corps, Major General Renato Miranda, was granted relief from his post on Sunday due to "personal reasons," officials said.

Miranda personally asked for his relief during a meeting with his immediate superior, Navy Chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, at Navy Headquarters along Roxas Boulevard in Manila Sunday afternoon, Navy spokesman Captain Geronimo Malabanan said.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

cory, cardinal rosales lead edsa rites

2006-02-25T12:50:00.000+08:00

Aquino, Bishop Rosales lead
prayer at EDSA Shrine

By Maila Ager
INQ7.net

ORTIGAS--Former president Corazon Aquino and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales led a prayer at the EDSA Shrine in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the first People Power revolution that ended a 20-year dictatorship in the Philippines.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

rp ambassador to us says gov't to uphold rights

2006-02-25T12:29:00.000+08:00

Gov't will uphold human rights
despite emergency rule--envoy

WASHINGTON--The Philippines will uphold human rights and the rule of law despite emergency rule imposed in the Southeast Asian archipelago to quell an alleged coup bid, its Washington envoy said Friday.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday declared a "state of national emergency," invoking powers to use the military to quell a rebellion.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

sison condemns proclamation 1017

2006-02-25T12:26:00.000+08:00

Proclamation 1017, tyrannical act
of desperation--Sison

By Delfin T. Mallari Jr.
Southern Luzon Bureau
Inquirer

LUCENA CITY--The self-exiled founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines called as a "tyrannical act of desperation" President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Proclamation 1017 that declared a state of national emergency.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

ramos appalled by state of emergency

2006-02-25T12:17:00.000+08:00

'Appalled,' Ramos says of Arroyo’s
state of emergency

By Stella O. Gonzales
Inquirer

MAKATI CITY--Former president Fidel Ramos hit President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for declaring a state of national emergency.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

ocampo eludes arrest

2006-02-25T12:13:00.000+08:00

Ocampo eludes arrest

By Maila Ager
INQ7.net

QUEZON CITY--Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo eluded arrest at an opposition-sponsored forum at a hotel in Quezon City on Saturday, his lawyer said.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

bunye defends action vs tribune

2006-02-25T11:57:00.000+08:00

Bunye: Police had justification for Tribune entry

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQ7.net

MALACAÑANG--PRESS Secretary Ignacio Bunye on Saturday said he believes the police had justification for entering the editorial offices of pro-opposition broadsheet Daily Tribune at early dawn of Saturday.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account.

congressman beltran arrested in bulacan

2006-02-25T11:19:00.000+08:00

Congressman Beltran arrested in Bulacan

By Maila Ager
INQ7.net

ANAKPAWIS Representative Crispin Beltran was arrested by police Saturday, a lawmaker disclosed in a forum in Quezon City.

Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said the Karapatan group informed him that Beltran was arrested in Bulacan, Bulacan province at past 10 a.m.

A text message sent by one of Beltran's staff to reporters said the congressman, along with a bodyguard, his wife, and two other companions, “were flagged down in Muzon, Bulacan by soldiers, led by a certain Major Corpuz.”

“They are being escorted now to [Camp] Crame for questioning by the CIDG [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group],” the staff said.

Read the INQ7.net Running Account for more updates on the state of emergency.

freedom of the press

2006-02-25T09:11:00.000+08:00

This is how the Arroyo administration is defending democracy:

1017: Veiled warning to some segments of media?

"We're entering a period of censorship and intimidation never before seen since the 1970s and the 1980s," said Manuel L. Quezon III, a columnist of the Inquirer.

He was quoted saying this in the article Media fear censorship, intimidation.

So, are we journalists just being paranoid? Gee, maybe Tribune publisher Niñez Cacho-Olivarez is only being paranoid:

Cops enter Tribune office, get copies of mock-up issue

Inquirer columnist and UP professor Randy David, who led one of the rallies yesterday, was detained by cops and later released:

"We have so many ironies today, not least of which is the fact that in January 2001, we were on the same march on Edsa, and she (Ms Arroyo) was at the Edsa Shrine, waiting for us to give her the presidency. And now she's stopping us," said University of the Philippines professor and Inquirer columnist Randy David shortly before he was arrested by policemen in plainclothes.
David, along with Akbayan president Ronald Llamas and lawyer Argee Guevarra, was taken in a green Toyota Corolla sedan (plate number WJU-141) to Camp Karingal, according to Akbayan media officer Percy Sendaña.
The three were charged with illegal assembly and inciting to sedition, but were released early last night.

Not to worry, however, said National Telecommunications Commission chief Ronald Solis, who met with representatives of broadcast media yesterday after the proclamation of the state of emergency to ask for "balanced reporting."

Solis spoke to the Inquirer before meeting with representatives of various broadcast media.
He said fears of a government crackdown on the media were unfounded and described as "OA [overacting]" suspicions of eventual curtailment of press freedom.
He said circulars had already been distributed to broadcast media organizations in the past outlining what they could and could not do during periods of emergency.

Ay sori, sir, OA lang po pala kami.

state of the nation

2006-02-24T22:06:00.000+08:00

Everything's apparently quiet now, but here's what it was like for most of the day, courtesy of the INQ7.net Running Account.

arroyo declares state of emergency

2006-02-24T11:27:00.000+08:00

In a televised speech, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of emergency.

no rallies?

2006-02-24T10:38:00.000+08:00

Police officials have warned that protesters who will join street rallies commemorating the 20th anniversary of Edsa 1 will face the threat of forced dispersal.

POLICE will not allow street protests in Metro Manila on Friday, an official said, after the military thwarted a plot to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"All street rallies are not allowed today to prevent any breach of peace," Metro Manila police chief Director Vidal Querol said in a text message.

Read the rest of the INQ7 Breaking News item.

latest attempt vs arroyo administration

2006-02-24T08:20:00.000+08:00

Military says anti-Arroyo plot thwarted

In times of uncertainty, all we can really do is hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

As members of media, we always have to be careful to give the public the information they need, without inadvertently sowing panic or, in effect, creating the news. As you might expect, INQ7.net is taking all necessary steps to prepare for any contingency, to continue giving our readers, especially the many Filipinos overseas, the most up-to-date, accurate coverage of breaking news events.

I don't know how things will play out, just as I didn't know when I was doing the Running Account/What's Happening for INQ7's coverage of Edsa Dos how the story would end. All I know is that whatever happens, we'll be there to tell you about it.

Longtime INQ7.net readers know that when traffic from so many readers all over the world threatens to overwhelm the site when big events unfold or tension grips the country, we switch over to a streamlined news version.

The President is supposed to hold a press conference less than an hour from now. Our military claims the attempted withdrawal of support by some disgruntled officers has been thwarted.

Presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor has said in an interview with GMA-7 that no rallies will be held today, as the government will cancel all permits for rallies. Protesters, however, have said they will push through with massive demontrations to commemorate Edsa I and call for the ouster of Arroyo. And former president Cory Aquino is supposed to lead a march in Makati City at 3 p.m. today.

We keep talking about the spirit of Edsa. I just wish this would truly live in the hearts of Filipinos. I just wish we would see genuine change.

Let's just hope for the best. And pray.

inq7 @ 5 now live

2006-02-22T23:02:00.000+08:00

Check out our INQ7 @ 5 anniversary site and celebrate with us online.

I'm really happy with this site and proud of what everyone on the team accomplished in record time. When we started brainstorming a little over a month ago (yeah, we like to cut things a little close, heh), I proposed an anniversary site that would not only talk about the things we have in store for readers, but actually give them a taste of these services in action. I also wanted to emphasize how these different gadgets and online tools are already part of our everyday lives.

As I told the different stakeholders in that meeting, including our president and CEO Paolo Prieto, why not take advantage of what many of us are actually doing everyday for our personal use, such as taking pics and shooting videos with our camera phones, and adapt this to our needs as a news organization? Why not allow readers to submit user-generated content utilizing these same tools?

I guess what I said in our Blog section intro best explains what we tried to achieve with this site:

One thing we really wanted to do this year was to have the anniv site showcase the different online tools we’ll be deploying to deliver INQ7 content and services. Stuff like blogs and podcasts, which many Internet users are already familiar with, but which may be exotic toys for some news readers, and exciting new playgrounds for news organizations.
We want you to be able to enjoy these services, to see for yourselves how they can become valuable tools for delivering the news. Of course, we’re tailoring them to the needs of a news organization, and what works for us may not necessarily be what’s best for a personal blog, and vice versa.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, we’d like to demystify blogs and podcasts — to emphasize what we actually do with these tools, rather than the technology itself.

For instance, you don’t need high-end equipment to create your own online broadcasts. Which is why we shot the video clips using camera phones, and extracted audio from these to create our podcasts. Sure, the quality of the audio and the resolution won’t be as great, but when you can bring down online content and video-on-demand to the level of cell phones and other mobile devices, then you can make more people not only appreciate the power of digital media, but also encourage them to become content creators and online publishers themselves.

I'm not going to lie to you: it's not always easy being part of INQ7.net. I've experienced my share of stress and frustrations over the years. Still, I wouldn't be where I am now if not for the opportunities this company has given me. Somehow, through thick and thin, something about INQ7.net inspires us to give our best. And you know what? A company whose executives are willing to support a fun experiment like this anniversary site, whose big bosses are game enough to be interviewed using mobile phones, and whose hardworking people keep outdoing themselves with every new project, must be worth it.

I hope you'll enjoy experimenting with these tools and submit your own photos, videos and audio greetings that creatively convey your anniversary message. Just check each section for the guidelines.

Use the integrated WordPress blog to post your own articles or comment on existing entries. You’ll have to register to start posting blog entries, but you don’t need to register to comment on existing articles. All entries and comments, however, will not immediately appear on the blog but will first be sent to a moderator.

So check out the site and start submitting your own content, whether it's serious or light-hearted stuff. INQ7.net would be nothing without our readers, the almost one million unique visitors who make our site their virtual home each day.

Thanks for your continuing support. Happy 5th Anniversary, INQ7.net!

ePLDT creating a gaming monopoly?

2006-02-22T12:32:00.000+08:00

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece this week:

WELL, they finally did it. The possibility of the number one Philippine online game publisher Level Up! becoming a PLDT company has been the subject of speculation for some time. Thanks to hackenslash and INQ7 Infotech reporter Erwin Oliva’s tireless efforts in pursuing this story, we got the scoop when ePLDT, the information and communications technology arm of the country’s biggest telco, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., acquired a controlling 60-percent stake in Level Up! and announced that the company behind Ragnarok Philippines, ROSE Online and other popular online games will be merged next year with existing ePLDT subsidiary NetGames, which publishes Khan, FLYFF and PangYa...

Industry players and observers had been predicting since early last year that we would soon see consolidation, pointing out that the Philippine market is still too small to sustain so many online gaming companies, which sprouted like mushrooms following the phenomenal success of Ragnarok. Last year saw the first casualty of the MMOG wars, with Cebu-based Beetlerock shutting down Fairyland Philippines. Now the biggest online gaming publisher in the Philippines is the property of the biggest Philippine telco, so the question is: will this be good for the industry?

Read the rest of my column piece.

cutting no corners

2006-02-22T12:27:00.000+08:00

Better late than never: say hello to YOU BLog Addict of the Week, Geralyn.

when games become sports

2006-02-15T09:44:00.000+08:00

Check out my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece.

Here's an excerpt:

If gaming does become truly more mainstream, we’ll have casual games to thank for that. Not every person will or wants to become a hardcore gamer, but few of us can say that we don’t enjoy any electronic game. It could be Bejeweled for some. Or Tetris. Or Bookworm. Whatever it is, whatever the platform, chances are, some game catches your fancy.
I honestly think any person can become a gamer, once he or she finds the right game. Sometimes, we just don’t even want to try out something, only to be pleasantly surprised to find out we enjoy it. It helps, of course, if you have family and friends who’ll play the game with you, which is why being multiplayer is one of the biggest come-ons a game can have. Even a sucky game can become enjoyable, or at least tolerable, if you’re having a good time goofing off with your friends. Well, sometimes it also helps if you’re drunk, heh.

Read the full story.

the new m|ph

2006-02-03T11:38:00.000+08:00

Check out the January-February issue (Isabel Roces cover) of m|ph, which, ahem, has an article about me. Something to do with my being the co-editor of hackenslash.net and president of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association, and how I use mobile devices as part of my digital lifestyle.

I'll let Jayvee Fernandez talk about this issue, which is the first to come out under Hinge Inquirer Publications, via his m|ph blog post:

m|ph, the most visible home-grown magazine on mobile technology starts the year with a fresh new look, giving readers a taste of what’s new in the mobile tech scene for 2006.
To celebrate a fresh start, m|ph goes vegan with the stunning Isabel Roces who graces the front cover. Isabel talks about her PETA advocacy, the gadgets she owns, and gives some words of advice on how to guard from gadget lust. This issue also contains reviews of the latest phones, namely the Nokia 6111 for the ladies, the shaver-shaped Nokia 6270 and the Sony Ericsson W550i Walkman phone. If you happen to own an iPod, the magazine also features a showdown of the best iPod-docking speakers available in town. Since gadgets are only as good as the people who use them, this issue features two mavens in their respective industries, the iconic Joey Alarilla of Hackenslash.net and Denise Albert, who sets the marketing and events industry on fire with her passionate words.

m|ph, which stands for Mobile Philippines, is a monthly publication geared towards the Filipino who is always on the go. Faithful readers have always described the magazine as the most informative and engaging among all the technology magazines because it is smart, engaging and witty. m|ph is available at all news stands and technology hubs for just P80.00 per issue.

It’s fun to be a geek!

I don't know about being iconic hehe but thanks Jayvee, Eva and all the HIP people for this opportunity.

inq7's 5th anniversary

2006-02-03T11:20:00.000+08:00

INQ7 is celebrating its 5th anniversary on Feb. 27 and I'm the one overseeing the anniversary site.

We're making this a very interactive site that will showcase the multimedia services that we currently offer or will soon offer. As part of this thrust, we'll feature photos and video clips from readers sharing their INQ7 anniversary greetings.

We'd like you to also be part of this fun activity, so if you're interested you could submit pics of creative ways you can greet us a happy 5th anniversary :) This could be something involving the number 5 -- you could refer to a similar thing we did for our Human Christmas Countdown for inspiration.

Just e-mail the pics to joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Please include a brief caption identifying the people, your company and location. These could be pics you've scanned, or taken with your digicam or camphone -- the whole idea is to show how these gadgets have become part of our lives, and how tech is uniting Filipinos from all over the world. They could be solo or group shots -- pics of you and your colleagues, as well as you and your families.

You can also record brief greetings on your digicams or camphones and e-mail them to me. Please just briefly introduce yourself or identify the people in the video :)

You could also ask your friends to submit photos and video clips, following the same guidelines. Please submit your pics and videos on or before Feb. 9, so you could be part of the first batch when the site launches.

Thanks.

YOU blog addicts

2006-01-26T09:54:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I last posted here but I've had to deal with a lot of stuff lately. Then again, whatever personal problems you might have, the world doesn't stop spinning, and life goes on.

Anyway, back to regular programming.

Check out the site of last week's YOU Blog Addict, Mej Loza.

And say hello to this week's YOU Blog Addict, Sarah Encabo.

wubbable wubbzy

2006-01-12T17:41:00.000+08:00

Check out the Wubbcast, which is being touted as the world's first video podcast for pre-schoolers.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy is a new cartoon that will premiere on Nick Jr. this September, but you and your kids can already enjoy great content online even before the first TV episode airs.

Subscribe to the Wubbcast via iTunes and keep visiting the Wubblog for updates.

hey mikey!

2006-01-12T17:36:00.000+08:00

Mike Villar is our YOU Blog Addict of the Week.

Got a blog? Interested in being featured? Just e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com.

We'd also like to showcase video, audio and mobile blogs from all you young people out there, so do e-mail us if you'd like to be featured.

Who knows, you could be the next YOU Blog Addict.

hey sammy! -- the youtube version

2006-01-11T15:02:00.000+08:00

I'm really impressed with the YouTube free video hosting service and have decided to upload my Hey Sammy! music video there, apart from having it hosted on vidiLife.

As I noted in a previous post, I created this using Windows Movie Maker. Please just forgive the poor video quality since these were video clips my wife Ellen and I took using our mobile phones and my Pocket PC, so I had to convert the files from 3GP/MP4 to import them to Windows Movie Maker.

Check out Hey Sammy!

asiarati beckons

2006-01-11T14:30:00.000+08:00

Got this from Jason Banico: Check out Asiarati.

Register to beta test Asiarati and help rank the best Asian sites.

Great to hear from you, Jason. Good luck with your new venture.

vlog on

2006-01-11T14:19:00.000+08:00

If you're looking for free video blog hosting services, check out eRadioPortal.com.

They're looking for video blog submissions. Here's the announcement posted on their site:

Share your experiences thru video blogging or simply share your video clips on the internet. If we like your submission, we will host it for FREE.
Your video submission must have the following specifications: 320x240 resolution, 15 frames per second, Windows media format mpeg4 or AVI. We encourage posters to keep it under 15 minutes. Send your posts to videoblogger.upload@gmail.com and attach a short narrative of what you want viewers to read when they view your videos. For comments or suggestions please post at KURO.

They've only posted a few videos so far but here's one that I found cute.

google opens video store

2006-01-10T17:38:00.000+08:00

You know how Google has been accepting video clips from users for the past few months for its Google Video service?

Well, just as they announced at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show, Google is going into video-on-demand in a big way. And now it's official -- they've announced the opening of the video store at the official Google Video Blog.

This means that apart from the free content uploaded by users, you can now buy high-quality video content from content providers such as CBS, which is making episodes of its shows such as C.S.I. and Survivor: Guatemala available for purchase online.

Not only that, but Google has also launched the Google Video Player. Unfortunately, they haven't done a good job of making it easy for users to find the link to the player on their site. Some of the videos on the site can be downloaded -- either for free or for a fee. You will see a Download button if the video is available for download. One of the most popular videos available for free download is Hurricane Katrina from Hurricane Katrina
Benny Chappetta, which you can download for your PC or Mac, video iPod or Sony PlayStation Portable.

It's still too early to tell how this service will fare, but my first impression is that they rushed the launch of this online store, because some of the categories on the drop-down menu for videos available for purchase result in error messages.

The music videos that are available so far seem to follow the pricing model popularized by iTunes, which is 1.99 dollars per video. You can also buy videos of NBA games for 3.95 dollars a pop. Hmm, do you think the PBA is taking notes?

Also, I know that the strength of Google lies in giving us the ability to search for items, but right now the Google Video homepage just appears too chaotic, with different items being highlighted each time you refresh the page. Maybe they could learn a thing or two in terms of presentation from sites such as iFilm, now that they're venturing into this new territory. I know, Google doesn't want to be Yahoo!, but they have to consider the look and feel of the site now that they're dealing with multimedia.

After all, as they become more mainstream and cater to consumer tastes, it won't be enough for Google to organize the world's content, but also to present it properly.

keep the hits coming

2006-01-10T15:41:00.000+08:00

Yup, Filipino vodcasting (or video podcasting, which you could also call vidcasting, Internet television, IPTV and a slew of other buzzwords; some also say this is synonymous to video blogging or vlogging) is alive and well.

Check out H.I.T. (Hot Interesting Topics), which aired its first episode on August 20, 2005 and might own the distinction of being not only the first Philippine vodcast, but also Asia's -- at least that's what Wikipedia has to say in its entry on vodcast.

H.I.T. is produced and hosted by siblings Michael, Joanna and James Hui-Villanueva, and this made-for-the-Web show takes a look at diverse topics such as tech, travel and tasty treats. It's truly a small world, after all. Joanna was our intern at INQ7.net a few years back and wrote stuff for YOU, the youth site I edit.

You can check out the latest episode of H.I.T. below (Episode 12, Dec. 6) via streaming video courtesy of YouTube, though sometimes the streaming video is marred by too much buffering. It's best to subscribe to the vodcast like I did via iTunes -- I chose the H.264 format for QuickTime 7. You could also get the vodcast in MP4 format for your PC or Mac, and in M4V format for downloading to the new iPod with video capability, if you have one already. I don't, hehe, so it's still just one of the objects of my technolust.

The siblings are sometimes sheepish about the ambient noise included in the vodcast, such as the sound of traffic, but I actually like it -- I think it works in this context and adds to the authenticity.

the end of tv as we know it?

2006-01-10T14:03:00.000+08:00

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece:

This will be the revolution that will change TV and movies as we know it. We will not only change our watching habits, shifting from the set programming of TV stations and cable companies to entertainment-on-demand, but also create original content that we will watch and share with others. Whether it’s video blogs, video podcasting or mobile films, we are seeing an explosion of multimedia content generated by ordinary people. These are the movies we create everyday -- the clips we take with our camera phones, or our videocams, or the live performances (yes, I know there are many types of performances, but let’s keep this GP, hehe) on our webcams.
The world is watching. And we’re watching the world, and letting others watch.
So will our own broadcast networks get it and embrace entertainment-on-demand? Will our cable companies finally realize that we don’t really watch all the channels they provide with our monthly subscription, and offer flexible packages where we’ll subscribe per channel, apart from their current pay-per-view offerings? How about Filipino TV programs and movies available for streaming or downloading to iPods, portable media centers, PSPs, PDAs and mobile phones?

Read the full story.

when fred and barney smoked

2006-01-10T13:04:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, people didn't know how dangerous smoking was to their health.

Next month, on Feb. 19, I'll be celebrating two straight years of having quit smoking, cold turkey. I won't lie to you -- sometimes I still miss cigarettes. But I rarely think about them, and I'm just glad I was able to quit. Unlike in the old days, most of us are aware of just how harmful smoking is.

Here's an amusing yet disturbing video clip that's been posted on different sites which you can check out at Metacafe. Here you'll see Fred and Barney pimping Winston cigarettes. This is a Winston commercial from 1961. Winston was the show's sponsor, and as I understand it the Winston commercials and references to the cigarette company were deleted when the show was syndicated.

It's scary to think that a cartoon show for kids was used to peddle ciggies, but The Flintstones was also very popular with adults and those were different times. But how weird is it to hear Barney say it's time for a "Winston break" and Fred mouth the catchphrase: "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should"?

feeling 80s

2006-01-09T11:37:00.000+08:00

If you grew up in the 80s like I did, then you're probably familiar with the ritual of making a mix tape.

You'd listen to your favorite radio station on your cassette recorder, waiting for your favorite songs, your finger ready to press the "Record" button once one of the chosen tunes starts to play.

Of course, sometimes you'd end up cursing the DJ for not playing the complete song, or for starting to yak even before it ends. Or maybe sometimes you just weren't quick enough to press "Record," or you had to go on a bathroom break.

Yup, this was really how we did it once upon a time, back in the dark ages. With a cassette tape. Really.

If you feel like doing the digital equivalent nowadays, why not rip streaming audio while listening to your favorite Internet radio station? For your personal use, of course.

One of the best (i.e. free) ways to do it is to download the freeware Streamripper plug-in for the free Winamp media player.

Streamripper is an open source app that allows you to capture the streaming audio from the SHOUTcast Internet radio stations that you access through Winamp. Once you install Streamripper, you will automatically see the Streamripper pop-up when you listen to SHOUTcast Radio, and when you click "Start" you'll start recording the streaming audio files, which are then saved as MP3s on your hard drive.

Of course, just as in offline radio, if you catch a song in mid-stream, you won't be able to rip the whole tune. The good thing about Streamripper, however, is that it records all the songs an Internet radio station is streaming as long as you keep recording, and automatically separates them into individual MP3 files. You can also toggle the options to suit your preferences.

Since this is Internet audio, you have to accept sacrifices to audio quality, with many of the Internet radio stations I've tried so far offering a bitrate of 128 Kbps. As you might expect, I'm on an 80s trip right now, with Club Nigel for 80s alternative/New Wave; and Radio Skipper for 80s pop. For a dose of classic 60s, 70s and 80s rock, I'm also ripping tunes from Radio Free Colorado.

Streamripper isn't perfect -- sometimes you get some static at the start or end of a tune. Commercial alternatives are available, but for freeware, I'm happy with its performance so far.

Hmm, now where did I store all those old mix tapes?

just take the blue pill

2006-01-09T11:17:00.000+08:00

US-based zine PopMatters.com, of which I'm a multimedia critic/game reviewer, has published my The Matrix: Path of Neo (Xbox) review.

Here's an excerpt:

If you're still secretly harboring notions that the Wachowski brothers are true creative geniuses and the original Matrix wasn't just a fluke, the video game The Matrix: Path of Neo should put an end to all your delusions.

This isn't to say that PoN is total crap -- though when it comes to graphics, it does look, well, excremental. Sure, the game has nifty effects and at its best does make you feel like you're in the Matrix universe. Considering that a topnotch company like Shiny Entertainment developed this and that it's been years since the last Matrix movie (so, it's not like they were rushing things, right?), the character models are disappointing, even downright ugly. And I'm playing this on the Xbox, okay, which has me wondering why sometimes it looks like a game on the original PlayStation.

Read the full story.

Check out my previous PopMatters game reviews:

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict

Guild Wars

bigger, better

2006-01-03T13:09:00.000+08:00

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece:

At least two major gaming events will debut this year, once more underscoring just how much gaming is becoming a part of popular culture. The CMP Game Group, which is behind the Game Developers Conference (GDC), has announced that it is teaming up with The Hollywood Reporter, a popular entertainment trade publication, to launch the first Hollywood and Games Summit on June 27, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. If you had any doubts about the synergy that exists between movies and video games, this should show you how seriously these two industries are about working with each other. I understand that one of the key goals they’ll try to accomplish with this conference is to put an end to bad movie-to-game translation, and vice versa. Amen to that; we could do away with awful games like The Matrix: Path of Neo.

Meanwhile, the CMP Game Group has also unveiled plans to launch the first edition of GDC Asia in late 2006. The event aims to bring together Asian game developers and further spur the growth of the gaming ecosystem in the region. Again, this shows how Asia is leading the way in this digital revolution, particularly when it comes to online gaming.

Closer to home, a new gaming publication will try to win the hearts of Filipino gamers with the launch of the Philippine edition of Electronic Gaming Monthly. As I mentioned in my @Play column, you can visit the EGM Philippines online forums for more details.

The first issue of EGM Philippines is scheduled to come out this February, right Jayvee? :)

Check out my @Play column.

a few good programmers

2006-01-02T14:42:00.000+08:00

Talk about six degrees of separation.

Got an e-mail from Evert, a former officemate of my wife at the telco where Ellen used to work. Evert is now a business unit manager at GMA New Media, which of course is a subsidiary of one of INQ7.net's mother companies, GMA Network.

Anyway, GMA New Media is looking for a few good Symbian C++ programmers. If you're interested and qualified, or know someone who is, just drop me a line at joeyalarilla@gmail.com and give your contact details so I could forward your e-mail to the GMA New Media people. I'm not the one hiring, OK, nor is it INQ7.net -- I'll just be forwarding your message to GMA New Media.

Good luck!

feeling mtv

2006-01-02T00:18:00.000+08:00

Here's a music video of Sam which I created using Windows Movie Maker.

I'm really having fun fooling around with video editing software. Pardon the poor quality of the video because I had to convert the 3GP files from my mobile phone to MPEG using shareware software before I could import them to Movie Maker.

As usual, I uploaded the video clip to vidiLife, which offers free video streaming, video hosting and video blog services. Registration is free, so check out this growing online community today.

Hope you like this "Hey Sammy!" vid, which of course makes use of Toni Basil's immortal hit.

Free video hosting, video codes at www.vidiLife.com

always sammy

2006-01-01T15:08:00.000+08:00

I was trying out Windows Movie Maker just for kicks and came up with this "Always Sammy" home movie/slideshow of some of Sam's holiday pics.

The background music is "Another Sunny Day" from the incredibly talented band Belle and Sebastian. I got the free MP3 from Salon.com's Audiofile daily download.

Yeah, I know some of the lyrics aren't, um, suitable for children, but don't tell Sam that, hehe. It's a great song, after all.

Free video hosting, video codes at www.vidiLife.com

sam's note

2006-01-01T14:40:00.000+08:00

Here's a note Sam gave me, and as you can imagine it really made my day.

Isn't that sweet?

Happy New Year, everyone!

little artist

2006-01-01T14:00:00.000+08:00

Here's Sam showing off her drawing to me.

In case you're wondering, the "1233" on the drawing is the price of her painting. Sam started putting "price tags" on her drawings a number of months ago, and I have no idea how she determines how much each masterpiece should cost, hehe :)

sam photojam

2005-12-29T21:21:00.000+08:00

I downloaded the free trial version of PhotoJam 4 from Shockwave.com and created a Sam birthday PhotoJam just for fun.

It's a really nifty application and I'm tempted to purchase it after the 120-minute trial expires.

Get a copy of the PhotoJam 4 trial and find out how cool it is.

happy birthday, sammy

2005-12-27T17:19:00.000+08:00

Sam with (l-r) Ate Dory, Lola Marita (my mom), Ate Jenny and Ninang Bel.

xbox girls

2005-12-27T17:17:00.000+08:00

Sam and her Ate Jenny played Xbox games together for the first time.

hooray for ice cream

2005-12-27T17:15:00.000+08:00

Sam enjoying some ice cream with her cousin Ate Jenny and Ninang Bel, who's my sister.

little drummer girl

2005-12-27T17:12:00.000+08:00

Sam and her drum set. She'd been lobbying me and her mom for about a month to get her drums for her birthday, and this is what we ended up buying.

cousin jenny

2005-12-27T17:10:00.000+08:00

That's Sam and her cousin Ate Jenny (left).

sam and family

2005-12-27T17:07:00.000+08:00

Sam loved the food and company.

sam's cake

2005-12-27T17:00:00.000+08:00

Sam turned four years old today.

We had a simple birthday lunch for Sam with members of our immediate family.

I can't believe Sam's four already. She'll always be my baby.

Happy birthday, Sam!

christmas tradition

2005-12-27T16:51:00.000+08:00

Every year, we have lunch on Christmas Day (or a few days before Christmas) at the house of Tita Neng (Auntie Annie) and Uncle Mike.

This year was no exception, and just like last year, we had our group photo in this exact same spot. Looks nice, huh? This was taken using the Sony Ericsson K750i I won as a raffle prize at the CyberPress Christmas Party.

sam and ellen

2005-12-27T16:50:00.000+08:00

Sam and Ellen strike a pose on Christmas morning. This was when we went home after hearing Mass to pick up some stuff before going to Tita Neng and Uncle Mike's house.

family ties

2005-12-27T16:49:00.001+08:00

Sam with her Lola Linda, Lolo Manny and Tita Loida, who all came for a visit on Dec. 24. That's Sam's sofa bed.

eric and loida

2005-12-27T16:49:00.000+08:00

That's my brother-in-law Eric and his girlfriend Loida at our place on Dec. 24.

This is a candid shot, 'coz Eric looked up from playing the SpongeBob TV Game Sam got from her Lolo Manny.

hey mickey

2005-12-27T16:48:00.000+08:00

Sam sure loved opening her Christmas presents.

have yourself a merry little poring

2005-12-27T16:26:00.000+08:00

It's Sam and her Santa Poring.

wwe coming to rp

2005-12-23T19:19:00.000+08:00

Are you a pro wrestling fan? Then prepare for the World Wresting Entertainment Raw Live Tour in Manila on Feb. 24 to 25, 2006.

Here are the event details from WWE.com:

WWE RAW Live Tour
Date: February 24, 2006
Venue: Araneta Coliseum
City/State: Manila, Philippines
On-Sale Date: Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 9 a.m.

Ticket Information: Ticket prices: PHP 3,500, 3,300, 2,000, 900 and 400

Reserve now at 9115555 and http://www.ticketnet.com.ph/ or go to your nearest SM ticketnet outlet for tickets.

Hurry as tickets are being sold fast.

3 Way WWE Championship Match with Mick Foley as the Special Referee
John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. Triple H

Tag Team Special
Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair vs. Edge (Lita) & “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters

Tag Championship Match
Big Show & Kane vs. Tyson Tomko & Snitsky

Shelton Benjamin vs.Carlito

Chavo Guerrero vs.Trevor Murdoch

Woman’s Championship Match
Trish vs. Torrie Wilson

Viscera vs. Lance Cade

*** Line Up Subject to Change ***

It's mind-boggling, really. Triple H? Mick Foley? Kurt Angle? HBK? Rick Flair? All in Manila at the same time? With many more WWE Superstars also coming, including the gorgeous WWE Divas Trish and Torrie.

I checked out www.ticketnet.com.ph and it gave different details, particularly when it comes to ticket prices, so I guess you should keep checking for the latest updates.

Here are the details I got from the TicketNet Philippines Online Reservation when I checked:

WWE Raw Live Tour
John Cena, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Edge, Big Show, Carlito, Torrie Wilson, Lita and many more

Category: Sports
Venue: Araneta Coliseum
Website: http://www.wwe.com/
Event Date/Time:
February 24, 2006 Friday at 6:00pm
February 25, 2006 Saturday at 4:00pm

Seat and Price:
Seat Location Price
Ringside (Reserve Seating) 10440
Patron (1st 3 rows) (Reserve Seating) 5220
Patron (succeeding rows) (Reserve Seating) 3654
Lower Box (Reserve Seating) 3446
Upper Box A (Reserve Seating) 2088
Upper Box B (Free Seating) 940
Gen. Admission (Free Seating) 418

Time to start saving, WWE fans.

Merry Christmas in advance, everyone!

ibm podcast features agja

2005-12-22T19:07:00.000+08:00

I was one of the guests on the IBM podcast "IBM and the Future of Online Games," which was recorded in Mumbai when I went there last month to give a presentation at the first Indian gaming summit and launch the Indian chapter of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association.

As president of AGJA and co-editor of hackenslash.net, I was invited to share my views on the impact of online gaming on different aspects of our lives. We had fun while doing this podcast, which was hosted by Nick Jacobs, manager for Communications & Analyst Relations, IBM Communications Sector, Asia Pacific. It features a discussion between me and Quentin Staes-Polet, Digital Media Leader for Asia Pacific, IBM Global Services/Business Consulting Services.

This is the first IBM podcast in this series to focus on the Asia Pacific, so as a Filipino I'm proud to represent our country and show that we're becoming one of the biggest players in the Southeast Asian online gaming market. The IBM podcasts target the investor community, so this was a great opportunity to show the corporate world that gaming is more than just fun and games.

Check out this two-part podcast.

doa winner

2005-12-22T17:24:00.000+08:00

Here's Sacha Chua checking out the Dead or Alive 3 tournament. Erwin Oliva (seated, white shirt) of hackenslash emerged victorious after beating guest Marcelle Fabie (second from left) in the finals.

doa loving

2005-12-22T17:17:00.000+08:00

Participants in the Dead or Alive 3 friendly tournament. That's Clair Ching battling Joel Pinaroc of Manila Bulletin after we convinced her to have fun with DOA 3.

fun and games

2005-12-22T17:02:00.000+08:00

Everybody had fun with the console game tournaments. These were just friendly matches -- we didn't really prepare for the tournament but just figured it would be a great activity for the party. Maybe next year we'll have regular tournaments, with PC games and online casual games in the mix.

The winners were: Erwin Oliva (hackenslash), Dead or Alive 3; Mike Leaño (EGM Philippines), NBA 2k5; Carl Javier (GamesMaster Philippines), Halo 2; and John Nieves (Gadgets Magazine), Burnout 3. The winner of the Tekken 5 tournament was the sole guest that evening to survive the onslaught of AGJA members, but for the life of me I can't remember his name and company right now -- sorry, dude! Of course, I didn't participate as the president and was instead the marshal for the DOA3 and Halo 2 tournaments -- good excuse not to get my butt kicked eh, hehe

Congratulations to all the winners!

egg g4

2005-12-22T16:50:00.000+08:00

The new Extreme Gaming Grounds (EGG) branch in Glorietta 4 wasn't even open to the public yet when we held the AGJA Christmas party there last night, but Digital Paradise Inc. generously provided us the whole place.

It's located on the former site of Don Henrico's and I hear they'll be open to the public starting this Friday. They've got a sweet set-up -- around 60 high-end Pentium 4 gaming PCs and five plasma widescreen TVs for Xbox and PS2 games, plus iLounge private rooms where you can play Xbox and PS2 games or have videoke sessions.

gear factor

2005-12-22T16:37:00.000+08:00

That's me (right) with Ed Geronia of GamesMaster Philippines and Grace Cuenca of Strategic Edge at the AGJA Christmas party.

agja christmas party

2005-12-22T16:02:00.000+08:00

The past few days have been hectic but incredibly fun-filled, particularly last night when we held the first Asian Gaming Journalists Association Christmas party.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that AGJA is barely 8 months old, yet we now have 62 members in 5 countries: the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. I'm hoping that next year, we could together with our members in other countries or hold simultaneous parties, complete with webcasts and all. For more on AGJA, keep visiting our blog.

I can't even begin to thank people enough for making the AGJA Christmas party a great success, but first I'd like to thank Digital Paradise Inc., the company behind Netopia and Extreme Gaming Grounds, for providing the venue. EGG Glorietta 4 isn't even open to the public yet -- I understand they're opening this Friday -- yet they gave us the whole place. Thank you so much.

This photo shows some of the Philippine members of AGJA -- some of the members had already left when we took this group pic after the friendly tournaments had ended.

Thanks to Level Up!; Intel and Strategic Edge; Microsoft Philippines and Perceptions Inc., Tjader Regis and World Cyber Games Philippines; IBM Philippines; NetGames; Asian Media Development Group; IPVG/E-games.com.ph and Communications Experts Organization; Dominguez Marketing; Okey-Dokey Interactive Entertainment; TeamAsia; International Data Corp. Philippines; Z-Zone Online Philippines Inc.; FlipSide Games; Slycesoft; dme/Mobius.ph; Media Meter; MBsoft; Anino Entertainment; and Anino Mobile for helping make our party a success.

I have so many people to thank -- thanks to everyone who went to our party :)

gmail mobile

2005-12-16T10:04:00.000+08:00

Here's a great holiday treat from Google -- now you can check your Gmail account via your mobile phone or PDA web browser.

Just point your mobile device's browser to http://m.gmail.com to access Gmail Mobile. For more info on Gmail Mobile, visit this page.

Of course, I immediately tried it using GPRS on my XDA II to send an e-mail to my wife Ellen. Works perfectly.

With all the nifty features of Gmail and the new ones Google is constantly introducing, is it any wonder I find it hard to use any other e-mail service?

Google certainly delivered on the hype that they would revolutionize the way we use e-mail. Heck, Gmail is my mobile office, and since I use Blogger for my blog and Google for search, you can color me Googled, heh.

Except I still prefer Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Groups. Check out Google Talk and Google Groups for the Google alternatives.

downloading the future

2005-12-13T19:42:00.000+08:00

Right now I'm trying out the 14-day free trial of RealNetworks' SuperPass, as well as the CinemaNow online movie service.

Both offer movies-on-the demand, though it's slim pickings over at RealNetworks. Still, I enjoyed watching Mark Hamill's mockumentary "Comic Book: The Movie" for free via SuperPass. Pure genius. I used an S-video cable to connect my PC to our TV and watch the online movies there.

I'm a huge fan of entertainment-on-demand, particularly games-on-demand, and believe that we should accelerate the growth of this service in the Philippines.

On that note, check out Turner Broadcasting Systems' GameTap games-on-demand service. It's only available in the US right now, but it's a glimpse of the future.

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece:

I'm looking forward to the day when broadband-powered game- and entertainment-on-demand networks will become the norm, doing away with the inconvenience of having to find space for physical discs while also theoretically minimizing the impact of piracy. Let everything reside on the network, just as we've been hearing for over a decade now.

For this to happen, however, the service providers should also have current titles on the list of games-on-demand, as well as compelling content for their virtual TV networks.

Check out my @Play column.

By the way, in case you haven't heard, the Philippines will have its own edition of the popular gaming magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly. Yeah, I know, the launch of EGM Philippines has been an open secret for the past few months hehe :)

Anyway, the HIP (that's Hinge Inquirer Publications; yup, Hinge is now also part of the Inquirer family) team invited me to write a regular column, and of course I said yes. So do watch out for the first issue of EGM Philippines.

So, how will hackenslash and INQ7.net be involved with the online version of EGM Philippines?

Sorry to leave you hanging, but just stay tuned.

After all, the future is just around the corner.

rp outsourcing bid

2005-12-13T19:36:00.000+08:00

Check out my INQ7 Infotech story on the opening of a new $2.5-M facility for HP Philippines' business process and application outsourcing business.

Senator Manuel Roxas II, whom many believe has plans of running for president (well, assuming we'll still have a presidential system in the Philippines) and has good chances of winning if he does, was the guest of honor.

Here's an excerpt:

[Roxas] explained that back then, call centers, medical transcription and other BPO services had been derided as low-value-added jobs by the information technology industry. He said, however, that it turned out that the country did not have enough skilled IT professionals to tackle higher-value IT outsourcing projects that the industry wanted to target, even as the call center and BPO industry turned out to be a blessing for the Philippine economy.

"Now that we've built up a skilled workforce of 100, 000 IT professionals, we need to increase our efforts in encouraging more Filipinos to go into IT and training them with the right kind of IT skills. So that when we do, in fact, aspire for higher-value outsourcing projects, we will have credibility," Roxas said.

Read the full story.

children of payatas

2005-12-09T18:42:00.000+08:00

Got this e-mail from Pam Pastor (ppastor@inquirer.com.ph), editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's 2bU! section. It's also posted on her blog, so it's really from her.

I don't want to sound paranoid, but with e-mail hoaxes and people spoofing other people, you have to check.

OK, I admit it, I also texted Pam to make sure it was her :)

Here's Pam's message:

Hello :)

I've never had the desire to spam your inboxes but I believe this is for a good cause.

I am writing to ask for your help.

Recently, I received a letter from Lorenzo Veneracion, a retired judge who has spent the past fifteen years helping the children of Payatas in Quezon City. Aside from assisting them with their education and teaching their families to become more productive, they also put up soup kitchens and have been feeding 1000 children a meal of rice and vegetables every day. They have two centers in Quezon City - the Soup Kitchen and the Lighthouse Center for Children. This NGO (Foundation For Soup Kitchen, Food Bank and Training, Center Inc. and Lighthouse Center for Children Foundation, Inc.) is licensed by the DSWD and is accredited by the Quezon City Government.

They have been reliant on donations from Rustan's Supermarkets - Rustan's has been providing second harvest vegetables, beef bones and baked products. The rice is also donated.

Mr. Veneracion said that he and the other people from his NGO have been trying to get partners and sponsors but they've been unsuccessful so far. They have written to different politicians too but have been ignored.

We at 2bU! want to help the children of Payatas too. We will be releasing a story on the soup kitchens on December 21 in the desire to encourage young readers to do what they can to help these children too. We will be visiting them next week. Before our visit, we would like to collect donations that we could bring with us when we go there.

Several companies have expressed interest in becoming sponsors but I thought you might want to help too.

Believe it or not, the cost of feeding one child per day is only P2.75.

Your donation of P27.50 will be enough to feed 10 children.

Your donation of 275 will be enough to feed 100 children.

Any amount will definitely be appreciated.

Donations in kind will also be a big help. Here's an excerpt from an e-mail sent by Mr. Veneracion.

"We are open to donations in kind, like rice -- if you can solicit rice, and also mongo beans, dried dilis, dried alamang, soy sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sayote, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and all kinds of veggies in season, fruits like pineapple, or powdered milk, food flavorings like ginisa mix, chicken cubes, meat cubes and others."

If you'd like to help in any way, please e-mail me or text me at 09179056173.

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to other people you think might like to help.

Thanks so much.

Hoping for your favorable response :)

Sincerely Yours,
Pam Pastor

Hope you can also help. Please e-mail or text Pam. It's for a good cause.

trade chief hails growth of online gaming in RP

2005-12-07T14:36:00.000+08:00

Who says gaming is just a fad?

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech story on the E-games.com.ph launch:

STRESSING that online gaming is an important and fast-growing business sector in the Philippines, the head of the country's Department of Trade and Industry welcomed the entry of the first localized massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the free-to-play model.

"Some of our officials in Congress are taking a close look at online gaming, because some of these might be forms of online gambling. But this is not the case here. It is good that IPVG is bringing in this new content and new form of entertainment," Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila said in a brief speech at the official launch of the online game portal e-games.com.ph on Dec. 6 in Makati City.

Read the full story.

wireless streams

2005-12-07T14:32:00.000+08:00

Here's my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece for this week:

ONE OF THE great things about managing a gaming news site like hackenslash is that I’m partly earning my living out of playing games. Well, partly because I also edit other sites for INQ7.net, but you know what I mean.

Which is why setting up my gaming network at home is not just for fun, but a serious matter. It also helps you get away with telling your wife that you’re upgrading your PC, purchasing a game console, or buying games because it’s part of your job. Ahem, it also helps to have a wonderful, understanding soul mate like my wife Ellen -- really, honey, I need this stuff for work.

Read the full story.

making history in mumbai

2005-12-05T17:28:00.000+08:00

I killed a lot of birds with one stone while I was in Mumbai from Nov. 24-27.

Here's an excerpt from my hackenslash article that talks about India's first gaming summit and the formal launch of the Indian chapter of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association:

"Last year, when we held the first R.A.G.E. Gaming Awards, it was basically just an exercise to gauge the gaming market," Mihir Shah, managing partner of R.A.G.E., told hackenslash as he recounted why they decided to hold this event. "The reaction to the gaming awards was very positive, so we decided to hold the first gaming expo this year."

This year’s R.A.G.E. Gaming Awards, which was held in the evening of Nov. 25 at the Rang Sharda Auditorium, was a far cry from last year’s humble affair, as it drew hundreds of attendees and luminaries from the Indian gaming industry.

Read the full article.

more chickens

2005-12-01T15:45:00.000+08:00

Speaking of chickens, here's a pic of Sam at a kiddie party she went to at KFC while I was covering the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final in Singapore.

They grow up so fast, don't they?

the sky is falling

2005-12-01T14:56:00.000+08:00

Here's Sam posing with Chicken Little.

We watched the movie yesterday after Sam's entrance exam and had a great time. "Chicken Little" is a hilarious movie, no doubt about it, but in a frantic and senseless way.

I don't want to overanalyze 'coz Sam loved it and we enjoyed it while we were watching it, but don't see it if you're expecting something like Pixar's "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" or "Toy Story." But hey, "Chicken Little" is way better than "Shark Tale."

Think of "Chicken Little" more as "Lilo and Stitch" -- you'd hardly consider that a classic, but it was fun while it lasted.

The characters are likeable enough, though. My fave has to be Fish out of Water. Yup, Fish rules!

getting ready for big school

2005-11-30T08:56:00.000+08:00

Sam is taking her entrance exam today at one of our Catholic schools for girls, as she will be going to "big school" for Kinder-1.

Sometimes I can't believe she's growing up so fast. Seems it was only yesterday when I was cradling a tiny baby in my arms.

Go, Sam! I'm so proud of you.

tong-its

2005-11-29T16:59:00.000+08:00

Just got back from Mumbai yesterday afternoon.

To Jennifer, thanks for visiting my blog. Couldn't post the Tong-its URL on the tagboard 'coz it's too long, but you can check out the article here.

magical mumbai

2005-11-27T11:43:00.000+08:00

Mumbai is the world's second biggest city, and you have to be here to truly appreciate that statement.

I've always dreamed of going to India since I was a kid since I've always seen India as a magical place, so this trip to Mumbai to be a guest speaker at the R. A.G. E. (Reviews and Gaming Essentials) Gaming Awards and Expo; launch the Indian chapter of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association; and record a podcast with IBM has simply been amazing.

The people are wonderful and the city is a whole world waiting to be discovered.

I'll be blogging more about it when I get back, but right now I have to prepare for my presentation for the seminar. By the way, Mumbai is two-and-a-half hours behind Manila time, so it's actually just 9: 13 a.m. Sunday here.

Thanks to Mihir, Milind and the Rage Team for inviting me; Nick and Quentin of IBM for bringing me to India; and Ramesh of IBM for introducing me to some of the players in the Indian gaming industry.

Sometimes all this seems like a dream, and it's hard to imagine that AGJA is only seven months old.

Then again, as I told the audience when I presented an award and gave a brief speech at the R.A.G.E. Awards night on Nov. 25, reality begins as a dream.

What's important is to believe in your dream, and do something to make it come true.

x marks the spot

2005-11-24T18:22:00.000+08:00

Apart from covering the World Cyber Games last week, I was able to interview some of the world's leading game thinkers at the X Media Lab workshop in Singapore.

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech story.

EIGHT of the world's leading minds in the gaming industry were in Singapore from Nov. 17-19 to share their knowledge and give advice to independent companies on launching their own games successfully.

"The idea is to help digital media companies get their ideas to market," Brendan Harkin, director of Australia-based X Media Lab, told hackenslash.net in an interview. "This is an opportunity to work with eight of the world's leading game thinkers."

Read the rest of the article.

iconnect rules

2005-11-24T18:16:00.000+08:00

Well, here I am back at iConnect, the lounge on the second floor of Changi airport that allows you to surf the Net and play Xbox games for free.

Just finished editing stuff for INQ7.net. I'll be on my way to Mumbai in a couple of hours.

first trip to india

2005-11-23T11:42:00.000+08:00

I'm flying to Mumbai tomorrow afternoon (with a stopover in Singapore) to attend India's biggest gaming summit, the R. A. G. E. (Reviews and Gaming Essentials) Awards and Expo, which will be held from Nov. 25-27.

Mihir Shah, head of R&D of R.A.G.E. gaming magazine, which is organizing the event, invited me to make a presentation and launch the Indian chapter of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association. Mihir is our first member from India.

I'm excited because not only is AGJA growing, but this will also be my first time to visit India.

Anyway, wish me luck.

sam and her duck

2005-11-22T12:48:00.000+08:00

Sam loves her new fluffy duck, which is a gift from my Singaporean friend Priscilla Tan.

I got a chance to catch up with Priscilla last week when I covered the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final. Sam's named the duck Golly. Quack, quack, quack!

Thanks, Priscilla! Was really sweet of you.

blogging from changi

2005-11-21T11:38:00.000+08:00

Free Internet access at Changi airport + Gmail = guerrilla blogging and editing.

Yup, telecommuting's a blast. I sure miss Ellen and Sam though.

breakthrough wcg performance for rp

2005-11-20T18:39:00.000+08:00

These electronic gaming athletes have won honor for the Philippines.

I'm proud to have witnessed the Philippine campaign in the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final. Here's an excerpt from the INQ7 Breaking News story.

SINGAPORE--(UPDATE) Refusing to give up after his opponent took a huge lead in the first match of the best-of-three encounter in the Midtown Madness 3 Mobile Asia Pacific finals in the World Cyber Games (WCG) Mobile Tournament, Filipino Paolo Antonio Carlos Castro nonetheless hung tough and emerged the champion.

"I was very lucky. It was very close," new Asia Pacific champion Castro, who won 3,000 US dollars for placing first, told hackenslash.net in the post-game interview. The Philippines defeated Singapore in the Asia Pacific championship on Nov. 20. "I have to thank Globe for helping me get here," Castro added.

Read the full story.

rp campaign ends in wcg 2005 grand final

2005-11-20T12:08:00.000+08:00

Here's the excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech article:

SINGAPORE--The Philippine Counter-Strike: Source team fought tooth and nail against the world's top-ranked CS team, Germany's mousesports, beforefinally bowing out of contention in Round of 16 of the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final this Saturday.

In the first set of the best-of-three encounter, the Philippines' Horsemen of the Apocalypse, composed of Justin Chan, Marc Vincent Agbisit, Jan Kristoffer Romillo, Paolo Nancho, and Kenichi Enda, held the Germans to a 15-all stand-off before finally succumbing in double overtime.

While the Philippine campaign in the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final official tournaments ended yesterday, two Filipino players will be vying later for the World Championship in their respective categories in the WCG Mobile Tournament, which was introduced this year.

rp players in finals of wcg mobile tournament

2005-11-18T20:00:00.000+08:00

Here's an excerpt from my INQ7 Breaking News story:

SINGAPORE--Two Filipino players advanced to the finals of the first World Cyber Games Mobile Tournament, giving them the chance to be crowned world champions in their respective categories.

Paul Antonio will vie for the top prize in the World Championship round of the mobile game Chopper Rescue, while compatriot Paolo Antonio Carlos Castro advanced to the Midtown Madness World Championship.

Read the full story.

good news from wcg 2005

2005-11-17T19:20:00.000+08:00

The Philippine Counter-Strike: Source team Horsemen of the Apocalypse proved naysayers wrong and won pride for the country by defeating the highly regarded Finnish team Astralis, then beating Thailand later this afternoon to advance to the semis of the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final.

This is the first time any Philippine team has broken the first-round curse in the WCG Grand Final, so props to HoA's Justin Chan, Marc Vincent Agbisit, Jan Kristoffer Romillo, Paolo Nancho and Kenichi Enda.

Here's an excerpt from the INQ7 Breaking News story:

What made the victory even sweeter is that Chan and Nancho only arrived in Singapore hours before their first match started, as they could not be absent from school.

"We just came into the match. We didn't expect anything, so there was no pressure on us. And they had a lot of pressure on them because it was a big deal for them to lose," HoA team captain Chan told hackenslash in an interview after they barged into the second round by beating Thailand to top Group C of the Counter-Strike tournament.

agja singapore eb

2005-11-17T19:10:00.000+08:00

We had fun last night at the Asian Gaming Journalists Association EB in Singapore for the members covering the World Cyber Games 2005 Grand Final.

Thanks to Jing Garcia of Manila Times' TechTimes; Emir Samonte of PC World Philippines, Ed Geronia of GamesMaster Philippines; Sansan de Leon of Studio 23's Digital Tour; Aaron Yip and Jaczie Lo of GameAxis; and Leung Wai-Leng of the Straits Times' Digital Life for making the AGJA Singapore EB possible.

Special thanks to ITJourno Asia/MediaConnect Asia's Glen Myles, Aaron Koh and Tan Lili for co-organizing the event and supporting AGJA. Stay tuned for more on the AGJA/ITJourno Asia partnership.

I'm also grateful to our friends Nick Jacobs of IBM, Darrel Chua of eFlyte, and Chester Chi of WebMoney, as well as Sansan's Studio 23 colleague JP Aquino (who's also covering the WCG 2005 Grand Final) and buddy Camille (sorry Camille, didn't get your last name, hehe).

IBM's Quentin Staes-Polet also dropped by at the WCG press con yesterday afternoon just to say hi and that he was sorry he couldn't make it to the AGJA EB since he was flying to India that night. Thanks, man, I really appreciate it.

wcg opening day

2005-11-16T18:52:00.000+08:00

Me (left) and GamesMaster Philippines editor in chief Ed Geronia at the World Cyber Games Grand Final opening day in Suntec Singapore.

agja blog and singapore eb

2005-11-15T17:41:00.000+08:00

I'm blogging from my favorite cybercafe in Singapore, Sun Byrd near Sim Lim Square.

I arrived this noon together with Studio 23's Sansan de Leon and JP Aquino, World Cyber Games Philippine team leader and project manager Tjader Regis, and members of the Philippine WCG team.

The Asian Gaming Journalists Association blog is online. We'll be holding a small get-together tomorrow night for the AGJA members who are in Singapore to cover the WCG, as well as with other Asian gaming journalists who are interested in joining our group.

Check out the AGJA blog.

goodbye, eddie

2005-11-14T09:40:00.000+08:00

I was shocked this morning when one of my friends, who's also a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment, texted and YM'd me that Eddie Guerrero, a.k.a. Latino Heat, is dead. You can also visit the official WWE site.

Eddie's been one of my faves, a great athlete and a great entertainer, even in Ted Turner's old World Championship Wrestling, before it was acquired by WWE.

They still don't know the cause of his death -- he was just found dead in his Minneapolis hotel room, with no signs of foul play.

Unfortunately, such mysterious deaths have been common among many pro wrestling superstars, and Eddie has been candid about his past battles with drug and alcohol abuse, though he's supposedly been clean for the past four years.

Eddie is survived by three daughters -- Shaul, 14, Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3 -- and his wife Vickie.

He was only 38.

young netizen

2005-11-12T06:59:00.000+08:00

Sam sure loves our PC.

She began using a PC and different gadgets and appliances before she turned a year old (starting out on the old Pentium III I sold to help pay for my current Pentium 4 rig). She's turning 4 in December.

who's gonna drive you home?

2005-11-12T06:56:00.000+08:00

Hey, how come this thing isn't moving?

choo-choo

2005-11-12T06:50:00.000+08:00

Sam playing with the train set in this hobby store.

sammy and snoopy

2005-11-12T06:25:00.000+08:00

Here's Sam posing with Beagle House's Snoopy.