The Cell Phone [R]Evolution

“Mobile phone is the single most transformative technology for development.”

-Prof. Jefrey Sachs, the Director of Earth Institute, Columbia University

Communication is an indispensable part of living.Technology on the other hand made it more accessible and available by producing a tangible device—the mobile phone. The mobile phone evolved from merely a communication piece to a camera, music player, alarmclock, pocket computer, and web browser all at the same time. Mobile phones make the digital divide look like digital multiplication. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007 survey, 58.8% of Filipinos are mobile phone subscribers. Factoring out the small children and extremely aged, that leaves out almost every adult and teenager having at least 1 cell phone. Wherever I go, I see people using cell phones; inside the jeep, on the bus, walking at the mall, park. Practically everywhere. Heck, they even use it inside the CR. They hold it first thing in the morning, even before their toothbrush. Some surveys also suggest that young people would rather be deprived of television and radio rather than their mobile phones. New kinds of social interactions that were, hitherto, impossible are now possible due to texting. A level of communication that was the property of the Western elite 25 years ago evolved and taken a foothold (stranglehold, actually) in every country, especially in ours.

I myself cannot view a world now without the cell phone. We have become so dependent on it that many of our daily activities revolve around it. When it was first introduced in the US, cell phones were rare, bulky and expensive, about $2,000 per unit. Two and a half decades later, everybody has it. Not only one, but maybe 2 or more! It comes in all shapes and sizes. From cute streamlined gadgets to wafer thin sizes. The units also became very cheap, a lot of 2nd hand phones allow a common laborer the use of the more advanced models. Reloading stations and repair stalls are appearing left and right and have become the primary source of income of the “sari sari store sa kanto.”

I may be overestimating the functional impact of cell phones but who can tell what will happen in the future? Maybe I’m still underestimating it. The next step might be video phones that are as cheap as text. Instead of texting, maybe you’ll just call and see your husband at work in the office or see your wife buying stuff for you at the mall. A few years from now, you may even not need to go to the mall or grocery. Your in-house system can detect all your low supplies and needs, and log into the internet to buy them for you. I was amazed by the new Samsung ref that is connected to the internet. It actually detects if you don’t have stuff in your ref anymore like eggs. It will automatically buy from a local grocery store and have it delivered on your doorstep – without you even knowing that you are low on eggs.

The future of cell phones promises many things, but I am worried of the unstated negative impacts of this new technology. Radiation during cell phone usage was a craze during the early years but was proved unfounded since the amount of radiation emitted by the phone is much lower than the standards set by the FAA for human tolerance. Cell phones have also been implicated for the cause of numerous accidents. People can’t seem to accept that cell phones and driving do not mix well. But all technology is only as good as the person using it. Cell phones are revolutionizing our social structure and inexorably influence the way we do business. I believe that cell phones and broadband Internet connection are the most important factors that drive our economy today. And in the future, cell phones may be all that we need to transact businesses or pay for goods and services. G-cash of Globe and Smart Money, for example, has been gaining popularity. Launched in 2004, G-Cash has about 500,000 users then and have been transferring about US$ 100 million a month.3 In the future, cell phones can be used for NFC (Near Field Communication) transactions. Similar to the expressway tollways, cell phones can just be waved around near the sensors at the cashier for non-contact purchases of goods or services. Potentials for mobile payment and banking are high and I don’t see the use of that ubiquitous cell phone stopping there.

Admittedly, brand new cell phones are still expensive for the lower Filipino class but surprisingly these low-income, first-time buyers are demonstrating their willingness to purchase and use mobile phones! Since practically everybody owns or use a mobile phone, the potential market for sales or advertising is within easy reach. Furthermore, texting can be used to reinforce a sense of community by engaging people to interact on issues that affect their everyday lives. Even my 6 yr old son owns a phone and can use it for texting and calling. He even learned to text using his phone before he learned to write. I don’t really see it as pampering since he only uses it to communicate with me and his mom even when we are at work. This is a classic example of the digital divide being bridged by the mobile phone. Everybody and practically anybody in the world is just a text away. Cultural, political and geographical and age boundaries become meaningless with mobile phones. The challenge is not only to use it effectively but morally and responsibly as well.

To Hack or not to Hack...

It was my birthday yesterday but since I currently have no work, my cash at hand is rather low. I was wondering what I wanted for my birthday? Something simple and useful. Something I can give to myself without the accompanying guilt of spending too much. Probably a massage, God knows I needed one. Then I was wo ndering how would it feel to be financially free? To have tons of money and spend it whichever way I want. I want to buy that P30M Porsche displayed at EDSA. Cool! People say money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery so much easier, he he.

There I was fantasizing about money… and then I recalled a few years back when I was so engrossed with computer software, internet, and computer games. That time, I have a client at my computer shop asking me if I have Windows 3.11 and if I could install it on his PC. I said I don’t have that OS anymore since it was “Jurassic”. That was my exact term.

“Why would you want to have that installed anyway?”, I said.

“We have Windows XP or 98 if you want.”

“I need Win 3.11 OS because that’s the only system where one of my programs work,” he replied.

And he added confidingly, “I have this credit card software that works only in Windows 3.11 and I use it to purchase some stuff.”

I was surprised and got very curious. I said I would try to make his PC work once more.

Unfortunately for him, his hard disk had crashed, that’s why it wouldn’t work.

“Too bad,” he said morosely. “That was my only copy of the software. I got it from a friend in the States.”

Right after he left, my insatiable curiosity got the better of me. Armed with just that incident, I roamed the internet and sought knowledge on credit card hacking. I have no intention of hacking credit cards, but I have heard a lot of this stuff from the news and thought I should educate myself on this. That’s one trait I have, I never stop until I get it if it’s possible. I used tools, I formulated strategies, reformulated them again when they didn’t work. Attack from a different angle. Eventually, I got a couple of programs that work in any Windows system. The credit card wizard can give you any number of cards you want. When I say any number, I mean even 100 Master cards, Visa Cards, Bank of America cards, etc… There must be dozens upon dozens of card types that I can choose from and generate any number I want. I was surprised on how easy it was. With a little persistence, I can even generate names, addresses, telephone numbers and US zip codes that are all valid and can be used to make a virtual persona. By this time, I’m about to wet my pants with excitement. I have been telling myself I won’t use the program. But I have to know if it would really work. Maybe the credit card companies have upgraded their systems. It’s foolish to think that just because I have the card generator, that it would work. I thought carefully on this. I don’t want the police in front of my computer shop arresting me for card fraud. What I did was select a pay per view movie website. They have new movies that you can download online and they are offering free membership for the first week, just enter your credit card number to verify that you have one and you’ll get free access for a week. If you don’t want to continue, just cancel your subscription before 7 days. I thought not much harm in this; I don’t plan on downloading anyway, just see if I can access. It’s also a good thing that my computer shop is not using static IP so I believed then I would be more difficult to track, just in case. With much trepidation, I created a fictitious account of a fictitious person somewhere in Arizona. I entered one of the numerous cards that I generated and presto, the very first one worked. I have access for a week. I immediately left the site, shaking. So that’s how somebody feels when they knowingly do something very wrong. The blood rush was genuinely addicting. I swore I would never do that again. I never gave the program to anybody, and I am no longer sure if it would work, knowing all the security checks implemented on credit cards nowadays.

The credit card firms and the vendor companies probably do not have the time nor resources to track down every purchase and if they tracked it to other countries, it would even be more time consuming and expensive. They block the cards and focus on the bigger aspects of their business. Small losses, small attention. Big losses, bigger attention. Focus on improving security, that’s probably what they’re thinking. Nevertheless, a hacker can generate more cards and they can be as tenacious and merciless as lematics (small leeches in Mt Makiling) if they put their mind into it.

The way I see it, you have to dip first into the water before offering advice on how to jump.Credit card hacking may give you fast and easy money. But the risk of being discovered and going to prison is also high. The oppressive weight of the deed will surely bear on the conscience of a morally ethical person. What motivates me now is an obligation to do what I believe is right and the assurance that my conscience would let me sleep at night. In the end, I reflected that the best birthday present I could give to myself is not just an indulgent massage but a clean conscience and a bright outlook for the future. Everything that we do in this life affects us and the seemingly harmless things that we leave behind are the things that could destroy us. -melchor, sept 2009

Microsoft Contributes to the Digital Divide: A Different View

Yes, I did not make a mistake in writing the title. Taking the devil’s advocate view, I believe Microsoft and many other major software companies may inadvertently promote the “digital divide”. I hear you say, “How on Earth did I come up with that idea?” Microsoft has been the powerhouse of major advancements in this Information Age. Majority of computer systems runs Microsoft OS and other software. Many IT companies are dependent on software that are programmed to run on Windows.

Unfortunately, the cost of licensing for Windows is very expensive here in the Philippines. When I had a computer shop, I purchased about 20 licenses of Windows OS and a couple of Microsoft Office CDs for my computers. I was afraid that the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and NBI would raid my shop. It was very expensive for me since at that time, the cost was about P8,500 per Windows XP. Office 2000 was about P12,000 each. The cost of licensed software was higher than the cost of the computer itself! And what’s more, I found out that Microsoft does not honor those legally purchased licenses because they should only be used for OEM or standalone computers;not those computers being used/rented by other people. A computer café has to apply to Microsoft and submit requirements like computer specs, number of PCs, etc.. to Microsoft Philippines. These will be entered in their database and you will have to pay annual dues on top of your licenses. If the hard disk or computer bogged down, your software license ends and you have to purchase another license for the new (or upgraded) PCs.

Complying with all the legal and ethical requirements of Microsoft is very difficult. Before I purchased the licenses, I tried using Linux systems. I learned how to install and operate various versions including Mandrake, RedHat, Xandros, Linspire, Ubuntu, BayanihanLinux, etc… Using BackOffice, StarOffice, and other free desktop publishers did not make my computer shop popular. True, these free software can do almost everything Windows can do, but the students and other clients are not so familiar with this and takes a longer time to finish their work. Since almost every client is familiar with Windows and MS Office, they would opt to go to a computer shop with those programs installed, licensed or not. And installing licensed software does not really guarantee customers and a successful business. There are more than 105 municipally registered computer shops in Los Baños alone and all of them are using Windows. Only a few PCs run Linux depending on some customer preference or requirement. And I would wager all my fingers that only a handful are 100% Microsoft compliant. Even Malacañang is not 100% compliant. How can you expect these small computer shops to spend so much for yet uncertain profit from their business?

Microsoft and BSA do not have the people nor the teeth to check all the computers in the Philippines. Basing on the experience of one LB computer café owner, BSA mostly rely on intimidation and official looking letters/mails. BSA and Microsoft partner up with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to raid computer shops/companies and truck all their computers away to the NBI Manila Office. The poor owner will of course be taken and fined. The confiscated PCs will not be returned unless a certain amount is paid (about 20,000 owner’s fine + about 10,000 per PC). If the computer café owner does not have the money, he’ll have to part with a few of his computer units in order to take back the remaining PCs. And then I asked, is NBI 100% Microsoft compliant? And wonder of wonders, of course they are! Their computers are also branded, Dell or IBM, etc… Hmm… pretty expensive, huh? Well, they are donations from Microsoft and other companies, after all… So that’s how.

On a different angle, Bill Gates is quite a rich man already. Couldn’t he lower the prices of the software so that everybody could afford it and not resort to piracy anymore? That was one argument that came up during one of the computer café owners meeting. Some argued that software piracy is rampant because the software were too expensive. Software developers argue back that many of their revenues are lost due to piracy, so they have to raise the price to offset those losses. It’s a vicious circle and nobody seems inclined to yield. Furthermore, the market price of Microsoft products is almost the same globally. Therefore, countries with higher GDPs can probably afford to become compliant than those local companies in countries with lower GDPs. The buying power of richer countries is higher than that of poorer countries. Since computers are indispensable in any country, logic follows that poorer countries have fewer resources to buy licenses and become compliant. I am trying to reason it all out and I believe that Microsoft can still get its expected revenues even if the price of their software is cheaper due to the fact that a lot more companies will be willing to become compliant. If I was a computer café owner and licensing would be only about P2,000 per PC, I would willingly add that expense to the cost of the PC. A few years ago, I have computed the GDP discrepancies in United States and in our country, and using a calculator found out that an average American buying a Windows license will spend only approx P500 equivalent in dollars. If Microsoft software is that cheap, would you still risk piracy and pay a stiff fine if you get caught?

Should software become cheap, piracy will still be there and would only be eradicated if everything was free; because by then you won’t have to pirate anything. I can’t see it happening though,since research and development does not come cheap. So in my opinion, Microsoft and other software companies are presenting an environment that is conducive for increasing the digital divide and piracy. I believe that lowering the cost of these software will promote an ethical setting with more software compliant companies.

One way that this can be started is by meeting with the government’s ICT department and drawing up a contract that would ensure very cheap cost of the software, e.g. Windows and MS Office. The government, on the other hand, would implement stricter policies on compliance and mobilize local authorities to enforce it since the software are now more affordable. Should the net income of the software companies yield lower revenues due to non-compliance or the ineffective enforcement, then they could always go back to where they were, i.e. high prices of software. I strongly suspect though that many companies, especially the small businesses, want to be compliant, they just couldn’t afford it.

Election fever...

“Some individuals are rewarded more than others. But it’s the freedom of all to

choose that decides those rewards – not a law passed by a few, which inevitably

creates privileges that the few will have the power to sell.”

James Hogan, Multiplex Man

May elections are nearing once again. I can’t help but notice the billboards and banners sprouting like mushrooms on the streets. A few months before the election, vacant walls will be plastered with several layers of faces of the candidates. Welcome to traditional politics in the Philippines. Well, COMELEC and the Congress have pushed through the election computerization inspite of the initial problems of falling out by the contractors. How will computerization affect the election outcomes? Will election fraud be lessened? Will there be cheating? Attempts of hacking? Would it really be easier to monitor electronic ballots? Or will it be easier to cheat? Many politicians are not familiar with the electronic voting. They are used to what they call “mano mano na bilangan”. Some government officials actually spend money to hire people who will explain to them how the electronic voting system works. Can they be cheated that way? Is it really infallible? It would take only a single proven foul up of the machine and the losing candidates would cry foul. Confidence on e-voting would be lost and so are the billions of pesos used to buy and set them up. My thoughts are that the machines are only as good as the ones using them. A skillful programmer inside the COMELEC can probably find vulnerabilities on the system with a little ingenuity and patience. First hand, I know that some politicians can go to great lengths to secure their position. From the various methods to acquire money from projects to the political tactics used to gain public sympathy. Philippine politics is really very dirty and it doesn’t stop after the election… just like the old song goes… “It only just began”.

The winning candidates get to dole out the power to his/her cronies. Even to enemies to placate them. Just like what happened to the senators who got elected who are known to be against PGMA. Sen. Chiz Escudero was always on the news hotly opposing the PGMA administration before the election. When he got elected, he became very silent. With nary a peep. What happened? A very big disappointment to those who voted for you. But, is it true that you don’t get any funding? Is it true that if you are in the opposition and you are newly elected, and maybe if you really want to help the Filipinos, you

would just swallow your bitter words to get funds to start your projects? Or else continue prattling and don’t get any job done. By and by, you’ll get “donations” from various people and before you know it,you’ll be swallowed by the system. The reward system is not just used to train monkeys and dogs, they are also effective on politicians.

Looking at our country’s politics way back, I noticed that repression is the last phase before things cave in. Marcos’ regime was okay at the start but soon repression set in and eventually People Power toppled his dictatorship. When President Estrada was on trial, the people felt repressed and betrayed. Filipinos are used to hardships and poverty but curtail their freedom and touch their pride, they will collectively make themselves felt. The same is true for other countries, when the use of force become essential to stem the tide of people’s grievance, that’s the time to watch out for changes in the political hierarchy.

What I fear in the upcoming elections is that the Filipinos may elect tyrannical leaders, give them enough power to literally steal our country and enslave the population. These so called leaders know what happens when power becomes concentrated and is unaccountable to anyone. Our system of government lacks the necessary check and balance and the political will to combat graft and corruption.But as the saying goes, “The leaders we have are the leaders we deserve.” I long for the day that we have honest, good intentioned and effective leaders that will once again make me proud of our government. Well, one could only hope.

Use it or Lose it!

I'm talking about our brain...

I believe the main function of our brain is... movement. Our whole network of nerves and muscles are controlled by the brain. When the nerves evolved in the first jellyfishes, they had the advantage of being able to move in search of food unlike the mindless sponges, waiting for the food to be swept into their bodies.

Similarly, in humans, our brain was designed not just to think, but also to move. If all you do is become a couch potato, glued to a non-interactive and passive TV screen, your physical and mental health will decline. Isn't it a sign of old age if you are becoming inactive? Are we going back to become sponges instead of jellyfishes?

Maybe,we need to exercise our brain more often because studies suggest that your brain affects your physical health. The internet can be very good place to meet people. I mean, not just clicking your fingernails away at FarmVille for hours on end, but participating in intellectual forums and discussions.

Sometimes, when I feel like I'm losing my edge, I engage in Olympic discussions about geckos and trees. Read our epic battle here:

http://biology-online.org/biology-forum/about1172.html

*joke... But seriously, there are thousands of websites that engage your brain into overdrive. The world is not limited to a few square kilometers from your house and life is too short not to explore and experience new things.

Exercise your brain, exercise your body and live a long life full of possibilities.

sample flash websites...

Creating flash websites can be easy if you are imaginative and resourceful :)

Samples below. I'll make a walkthrough if many are interested.

Completion times are between a few hours to a few days. Less than a week for sure.

One of my early attempts at flash editing. Click here. Conversion quality is horrendous though.

Hmmmm... couldn't upload swf files here. Oh well..

www.artcaza.info

www.eliezgheib.com

microbiology.comoj.com

www.marianorchard.com (in progress)

Go visit some and tell me what you think.

SWOT Analysis in Brief

SWOT Analysis of a Training Center

SWOT analysis is a diagnostic tool to assess the particular strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,

and threats that are strategically important to the organization. Understanding the interactions between these crucial factors allows the organization to build up its strength, shore up the weaknesses, capitalize on the opportunities and recognize the threats.

Doing a SWOT analysis is very important because it would give a realistic understanding of the training industry and the true capabilities of your center. Some of the critical factors needed for success should include:

1. Development and design of new programs or courses;
2. Operational capabilities – having the resources and systems in place to run the organization including leveraging technology to improve operational efficiency;
3. Marketing – measure of the popularity of your training center, how well do you get out your services into the marketplace to become public knowledge;
4. Delivery - high quality education delivered in the most effective and efficient manner;
5. Management – providing the vision, leadership and direction of the organization;
6. Organization – maximizing the capabilities of the staff and the available resources;
7. Customer service – procedures that create loyalty, praise, recommendations, and referrals from the clients;
8. Financial Condition – the long and short-term financial health of the organization.

History Brief of I.Learn from my viewpoint

I.Learn Center is the brainchild of Carl Consulta, a colleague of mine teaching at St. Paul University Quezon City. He broached to me the name that he envisions for a new training company – I.Learn. He asked me what I thought about it and I said its simple and catchy enough. I will help design a logo for him. We worked around with the idea at that time and it developed into a potentially lucrative venture for those who have the money. He attached I.Learn to his other company Medtrans Outsourcing Systems Technologies, Inc. (MOST). Through some of his acquaintances and incorporators, they were able to find an investor who was willing to shell out some money for I.Learn. Profits would be on a percentile basis for the investor and for MOST.

I served as Marketing Director for I.Learn San Mateo but spent only a couple of months in that company because of some personal falling out between Carl and the investor. Their disagreements reached huge proportions that in the end they have to settle in court. I did not stay as the Marketing Director out of loyalty to Carl since he’s still a colleague of mine at St. Paul, where we both work as part time teachers. Carl later found another investor and I.Learn Center Anonas (at Quezon City) was born. Carl retained the proprietary rights to I.Learn while the San Mateo Branch became Global Career Access Technology Institute (GCATI). The dispute between Carl and GCATI are still being heard at court as of the time of writing. Again, as Marketing Director of I.Learn Anonas, I presented a basic Marketing Plan to the new investors and spearheaded the advertising campaign. Carl and I selected a strategic location for the center and I helped in the acquisition of their computers and build their network infrastructure.

You could say that I really believe in the success of the company. Unfortunately, I am not an incorporator of MOST and hence I have no real stake in I.Learn. I am just an employee, so to speak, but Carl and I are the brains and the real ones running the business. The company got a lot of good breaks with the help of the investors and some of their political ties. It is expanding to a lot of areas and the trainees are currently numbering more than a thousand now. I.Learn has received numerous awards: 2009 Outstanding Career Training Center at the 27th Annual PEOPLE’S CHOICE Awards and the 2008 Most Innovative Tutorial & Training Center, 10th Annual GLOBAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS given at Bangkok, Thailand.

I sincerely regret leaving the company; I know Carl and I can cook up more things together but I also have to think about the future of my family. Although I.Learn opens up new horizons and brings exciting challenges for me, I feel that the company is financially unsupportive. Make no mistake though, I'm not saying money is everything but it sure does put food on the plate. I still believe in I.Learn and I hope it keeps on growing and growing.

Good luck Carl, Josie, Mam Tates and the rest of the I.Learn family. Miss you guys. For inquiries: visit www.ilearncenter.info or call up 912-1009 or 0922-8-ilearn.

Below is a pic during I.Learn's opening. Visit http://www.shareapic.net/users/sinanju/ for more.