GeekMadness » Lifestyle

Would You Save Money Buying a Prius in the Philippines?
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February 1, 2012 / environment, Geeking Out, Lifestyle

I was wondering last night I was wondering which car I would buy next year as I was driving my dad’s diesel-powered Nissan Patrol. It’s common knowledge that an SUV generally consumes more fuel than a smaller car, and several motivational speakers and authors often talk about a huge amount of savings just by using a smaller car.

It got me thinking: would the total cost of ownership of the Toyota Prius (The only hybrid car in the Philippines) be significantly cheaper than buying a compact sedan or hatchback?

So I did a little bit of research and my findings were surprising! Read the rest of this entry »
PureGold Goes For Linux Based System
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April 17, 2009 / Lifestyle, Ubuntu

Read this from Inquirer just a few minutes ago:

…Local retailer Puregold is deploying a Linux-based point-of-sale or POS system, as it looks to cutting down costs on security while expanding its network of stores…Puregold has ordered more than 2,000 licenses of TPLinux software, according to Paderborn, Germany-based Wincor Nixdorf, which sells niche solutions for banks and retail firms…

…“We wanted to cut the cost of buying anti-virus licenses and save on the cost of the license of (Microsoft) Windows per POS,” said Ruel Magat, Puregold’s IT Manager…

Read the rest of the article: http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090416-199780/RP-retailer-goes-for-Linux-based-system

If you found this information useful, buy me a coffee.
Project Victory Finally Released!
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April 3, 2009 / Lifestyle, Photography, Tools

Editing Project Victory with Blender

After 9 months in the making, Project Victory is finally completed! It tooks us 6 months to shoot, spread over 2 countries in 6 different locations, and 3 months of post-processing the images building the three collages and getting everyone’s approval, editing and re-editing the video, implementing new ideas, and having fun all the way.

You can watch the video over at the Project Victory website.

Project Victory was a photo project that my batchmates did over the last couple of months, and we recorded most of everything that happened along the way. It was created with a mix of open-source and closed-source software in Ubuntu, using BibblePro for RAW conversion, GIMP for some graphics and editing, and Blender for the 3D scenes and the video sequence editing. Read more at the Project Victory website.
WiFi Anywhere
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March 25, 2009 / Lifestyle, Wifi

Just look for the Airborne Access Wifi Zone logo

I can now surf the net through any of the Wi-Fi hotspots of the largest Wi-Fi network in the Philippines! Smart Gold recently paired up with Airborne Access to provide you with unlimited WiFi access at all Airborne Access hotspots across the nation. Within the Metro, when I’m having fun in Subic, or even when I’m relaxing up north in Baguio, there’s an Airborne Access hotspot within reach.

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Speedball At Maxsports
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March 22, 2009 / airsoft, Lifestyle

K's First Airsoft Game at Maxsports Adventure Park

Just a few hours ago, I was diving in the dirt, inhaling dust, and (trying to) pump all my opponents full of adrenaline-pumped lead…er…airsoft pellets actually.

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E-Jeeps Coming To A Route Near You
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March 16, 2009 / environment, Lifestyle, Tech Stuff

The rest of the Philippines may finally have a taste of riding these eco-friendly vehicles, as E-Jeeps can now be registered and issued license plates with the LTO.

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Top 5 Everyday Things You Miss From Another OS
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March 9, 2009 / Lifestyle, Mac, Operating Systems, Ubuntu, Windows

I used to be an MS user, ever since the days of DOS. And naturally, there are things that I miss in Windows. On the other hand, having used Ubuntu at home exclusively for the past couple of years, there are always things I miss when I sit down in front of my office PC (a fact I am slowly changing by virtualizing my workspace).

So today, I’ll be telling you not only the top 5 things I miss in Windows, but also the top 5 things I miss in GNU/Linux.

DISCLAIMER: Many of you will disagree. Some of you will give suggestions. These are my own experiences, based on what I use my computers for. You’re daily activity and workflow will differ from mine.

THINGS I MISS IN WINDOWS

1. See Your IP Address Quickly Without Opening A Terminal

See Your Connection Details With The Support Tab

In Windows XP, you double-click the LAN icon in the system tray (you have to set the “Display Icon in System Tray When Connected” in the connection properties, but you only have to do this once) and the local area connection dialog pops-up. If you go to the Support tab, you can find your connection’s information including IP address and subnet there.

2. Middle-click scroll

Yes, the middle-mouse button doesn’t scroll your browser or application in Ubuntu. I’ll tell you why later. While it is possible to set this in Linux, (heck, practically ANYTHING can be set somehow), there is no fancy GUI way to do it so it’s definitely not for the lesser-experienced. The middle-mouse button is useful for those lazy days when you’re surfing the web and just don’t want to scroll that mouse wheel.
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Same Price, Different Currency
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March 3, 2009 / Games, Lifestyle, Nintendo DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

Stay away! You're wallet would be safer with a thief!

“7,750?” I asked. “7,795 po”, the saleswoman corrected me, the tone of her voice proud, as if they were selling the deal of the century. Indeed, Datablitz’s price is one of the lowest, compared to around 9,500 pesos in the toy shops of the large malls like SM Toy Kingdom, Toys R Us, and that toy store in Landmark Trinoma. If only people knew that they were actually selling the WiiFit more than 200% of its real price. At Yodobashi in Japan, the Wii Fit sells for 8,360 yen or about 4,180 pesos. And it would have been even lower if it wasn’t for the bad foreign exchange right now, and since Yodobashi is like a huge chain of super stores, you could find an even better deal if you bought from other smaller stores. An imported Japanese DSi would set you back 17,800 pesos here. It’s SRP? 18,800 yen (9,400 pesos). A Wii console costs 22,000 pesos. It sells for 25,000 yen anywhere in Japan. And good luck looking for a Y30,000 Xbox 360 Premium. You’d be lucky to get it here for 20,000 pesos (Y40,000). Apparently, I’m not the only one being miffed by this whole situation; this situation has been going on since the PSX and is not likely to abate any time soon.

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Me, Creative Commons, and Ubuntu Brainstorm
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February 19, 2009 / Lifestyle

One day, I had downloaded songs of the internet. And normally, some people would be screaming “Piracy! That’s illegal!”. But this is different. Little do most people know, not everything off the interwebs is pirated music. Jamendo is one such place that lets artists share their musical talents to the world, and it was here when I downloaded their Valentine’s playlist that I wondered how do I find these legally-shareable music years, or even just months from now if I put them in with the rest of my music? Do I make a separate “Creative Commons” folder? Even then, do I make “BY-SA”, “BY-NC-SA”, and “BY-ND” subfolders?

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Travelling In Style: The Rolling Computrekker
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November 5, 2008 / Lifestyle, Photography, Tools
I was in the market for a new bag to hold my suddenly increasing gear. If ever you’ve tried traveling by plane, you’ll know how difficult it is to lug your gear around in your backpack. It’s heavy enough to break your back. And checking them in isn’t always an option because it’ll surely bring your luggage to the weight limit.

Enter the airport-friendly bags for the modern photographer. There were several brands that I was choosing from: Pelican 1514, Lowepro ProRoller Mini, ThinkTank Airport Security and a cheap Nikon rolling backpack that I found in one of the stores, among others. All of these choices offered two things I was looking for:
1. Easy to lug around; can’t get any easier than wheels
2. I can bring at as carry-on luggage
3. Price vs. quality and features
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