Techno-Mumbo-Jumbo!

Really Simple Syndication

2006-09-13T07:27:00.000+08:00

RSS
RSS, or really simple syndication, is a means of getting information from websites without having to visit them. Many websites now provide an RSS feed (a regular stream of new items to read or look at) that is recognizable by the latest browsers and software called RSS readers.

Why Use RSS?
Think of how you read news- you pick up the paper and scan the headlines for things that you find important. With RSS, your browser or reader lets you jump from item to item as you move through the latest news or updates from your favorite websites. If you see anything you like, you can link directly to the original site, and read on from there. If you are having trouble visualizing what a reader looks like, go here and try one out.

Which Websites Provide RSS?
All the best websites now provide RSS. CNN, MS-NBC, for instance, have a vast array of RSS feeds for all your curiosities and interests. If you are fond of Multiply, every single user has an RSS feed available. Even Yahoo! has an embedded RSS system that is integrated in each Yahoo! user's homepage. To add the site to your reader, just click on the RSS link and copy paste the address of the linked page onto your reader.

Going Wireless

2006-08-28T15:19:00.000+08:00

A writer for a popular video games magazine recently swore off wired equipment. The spaghetti of wires that sat underneath his desk in labyrinthine grandeur would soon be gone. A wireless mouse, keyboard, and control pad would arrive in place of old paraphernalia. He's probably one of zillions. It's easy to abhor wires- they get tangled, loosened, dusty, and are always too short or too long. Most of us can't wait for the time that wires become no more than museum relics.

A lot of homes are now using wi-fi dsl routers in lieu of wired connections to share internet.
Sometimes, if you're lucky, you get the wi-fi spillover from a nearby house or condominium. If you're on the other end of the deal, however, you might want to learn how to restrict access to your home network. Someone out there might be eating into a portion of your bandwidth, slowing down your already-slow pldt DSL (which compared to Singapore, Korea, and all of Europe and North America, is deathly lethargic).

For an intoduction to wireless LAN, go here.

Off topic, here's a thought to chew on: In North America, a 1.5 Mbps connection costs less than one thousand pesos per month. Here in the Philippines, you can get it (erratically) for more than double that price. Ouch.

Have a great week!

BLOGPOWER

2006-08-23T20:16:00.000+08:00

Greetings, greatly esteemed readers.

I almost died laughing at how Hollywood executives were shocked that a "crappy movie" was not a hit at the box office! Check out what I'm talking about here.

Snakes on a Plane seems to have bombed in the U.S. It was unable to mimic the Blair Witch Project's1999 internet-influenced success. Back then, hordes of moviegoers entered the theatres in anticipation of a genuine thriller. In my opinion, Blair Witch was boring, overly hyped, and just plain idiotic. The internet ads got to me, though, which makes me an even greater idiot for watching the film! So I've been on guard ever since. Maybe other people are too.

Snakes on a Plane seems to tell us that a movie's internet mileage will not translate into box office bliss. However, internet traffic does attract advertisers, and popular bloggers are now being enticed by ad companies who would like to place banners on frequently visited urls. The more hits you have, the more valuable you are. So if you think you can attract an audience, and more importanly, consistently keep its attention, your bloggin' ability might just be the skill that pays the bills.

Have a great week!

More Useful Info :)

2006-08-14T15:36:00.000+08:00

Laptop Choices

I recently collected the opinions of some professionals regarding best choices for laptops. Here are some of the interesting comments (some of them are toned down to more acceptable language):

DELL
"Dell SUCKS!"
"Dell laptops are the laptops from hell!"
"Dell has the best customer service in the world."
"Dell is fine. I've been using one for some time and it hasn't had any problems."
" I don't know about Dell laptops, but our old Dell servers caused our online games to LAG. We switched to IBM, and the speed has improved."

IBM
"IBM laptops are practically bullet-proof. The laptops automatically shut off their hard-drives if they are dropped, so the impact has less chance of damaging data."
"IBM has a global service warranty. They'll honor the warranty anywhere in the world."

MAC
"The newer macs can play pc games!!!!"
"GET A MAC. It beats anything out there. No problem with viruses and all that."
"The new macs are four times faster than the old ones. They look good, they're versatile."
"A Mac is cool."

Compaq
"Compaq is fine. Even Acer is okay. Just don't buy Dell!"
"Compaq once used AMD processors, but went back to Intel. Smart move."

Generic Laptops
"Generic laptops are fine. They work well, they usually come with a warranty, and they're serviceable locally."
"Our generic laptop looks pretty."

Fujitsu
"I love this toy. It's so great. The screen is fantastic!"
"This is a wonderful laptop. I love the screen! RAAAAAAAAH!"

Personal Note: I haven't found anything wrong with Dell laptops (the ones I've used). But online, I've discovered that there's a lot of bias against Dell. Trivia: Ragnarok Online used to be hosted with the use of Dell servers. It was LevelUp! Games that switched to IBM servers.

If you have any experience with the laptop brands that appear above, please post your comments. Feel free to agree with or violently refute any of the statements that appear here.

Have an awesome week!

Useful Tidbits

2006-08-08T22:18:00.000+08:00

Useful, bitesized information for you, my beloved readers, so that you can stay up-to-date and tech-saavy:

The New Macs
Every new Mac now ships out with Intel Inside.

Macintosh has recently accomplished its transition from its older chips, supplied by IBM, to its new processors from Intel. The newer chips, DuoCore and Xeon, function at vastly greater speeds (up to four times faster than their old counterparts) and use less power (yay). The main problem is that change is painful. Older programs are not automatically readable by the Intel processors, since they were created for the IBM PowerPC chip family. Enter Rosetta, the new OS which "emulates" many of the programs which are native dwellers of OSX, a previous Mac OS which is not compatible with Intel. Programs native to Intel such as OSX 10.4, and all its built-in programs, work superbly with the new Intel processors.
***

Torrentado!
BitTorrent is a widely popular, open source method of sharing files online. So you don't get left behind, here is what you need to know:

Bittorrent works by connecting you to a tracker, which manages the transferring of data from peer to peer. The data is transferred in a way that maximizes the bandwidth of every user. You will simultaneously be downloading little pieces of the file you want, and uploading pieces you have to other users.

With the bittorrent system, everyone chips in to make sure everyone gets the entire file faster. Users that supply full copies of the file are called "seeds." Users who are copying and uploading at the same time are called "peers." To begin downloading with bittorent, you will need the following:

1. An installed bittorrent program (like bitcomet, which I recommend).
2. Enough space for your desired file(s) - some torrents are associated with a collection of files.

You can find torrent files on websites such as isohunt.com. Mind copyright rules, folks. Not everything out there is in the public domain, hehehehe. Note that the torrent file is NOT YET the file you desire to have. It is the file that will allow you to contact the tracker and begin acquiring the goods.

Download the torrent file associated with your target file(s), open the torrent file, and your torrent application will allow you to begin downloading the target file(s) you want.
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Calorie Counters Online
Wondering about how much damage a fastfood meal will do to your diet? Google McDonalds, and visit the site. It has a calorie calculator that shows you the caloric equivalent of every single McDonald's food out there!

Off the op of my head, my favorite meal has this many calories:

Quarter pounder - 570 calories
Large Fries - 500 calories
Large Coke - around 300.
Yumyumyum!

Have a great week, everyone!

Taxes! (Eeew)

2006-08-01T21:55:00.000+08:00

Death and Taxes are inevitable, they say. A good question to ask is, "How do we determine the tax situs of electronic transactions?" It's another way of asking, "Who gets to tax my purchases on amazon.com?"

Our E-Commerce law goes straight to the point with Section 23, paragraph one:

"Unless otherwise agreed between the originator and the addressee, an electronic data message or electronic document is deemed to be dispatched at the place where the originator has its place of business and received at the place where the addressee has its place of business. This rule shall apply even if the originator or addressee had used a laptop or other portable device to transmit or receive his electronic data message or electronic document. This rule shall also apply to determine the tax situs of such transaction."

The first sentence tells us that the electronic document is dispatched and received in the respective places of business of the originator and addressee. This rule applies regardless of where or how the transmission is made.

There is a pandora's box in the words, "unless otherwise agreed between..", because it seems to allow the parties to determine who taxes the transactions by stipulating where the transactions take place. What are the solutions? Well, perhaps judicial review, based on the civil code prohibition on stipulations that contravene law, morals, public order and public policy. But that would be a difficult remedy to avail of, since contracts do not usually have parties or privies who would contest their own stipulations. The best solution is to change the law to make tax situs unchanged by these stipulations.

Based on what we've discussed, here is my take on the rule on tax situs:

1. If the parties do not stipulate as to where a message is dispatched or received, the message is dispatched and received in the respective places of business of the originator and addressee. The transaction thus takes place in those areas, and will be taxed accordingly. Basis: Sentence One, Section 23

2. If the parties stipulate as to the place of dispatch and receipt, the stipulation controls (subject, theoretically, to judicial review). Basis: Sentence One, Section 23, and the civil code.

Section 23 should be amended to make tax situs unaffected by stipulations as to the dispatch and receipt of electronic documents.

Coming Together

2006-07-11T11:33:00.000+08:00

Secret Agents
Technologies today have a way of hiding and obscuring themselves. To access this post, a slew of (once) disparate technologies are moving in quite astounding harmony just so you can see text displayed before your eyes. Once upon a time, technologies could be classified into fields. Now, they overlap and blend into each other, becoming indistinguishable except by monikers like, "Information and Communications Technology."

United Colors of... Technology?
Convergence is a word that refers to different technologies working as one, or in cooperation with each other. This is best exemplified by ICTs, which make use of the internet, radio waves, satellite transmissions, microwaves (for cellphones), and a great plethora of other technologies. Voice, video, and text can move (almost) seamlessly across the internet, allowing us to speak with loved ones far and near at very little cost. You can shop online, get counseling, meet people, go on virtual tours, book flights, and even get a degree via the internet. Business, leisure, and learning are all affected by convergence.

Learning to Learn
With all these light-speed developments, the most important skill nowadays is simply learning to learn. If you can stay curious, playful, and teachable, instead of intimidated and wary, convergence is your friend.

Interpretations

2006-07-04T15:15:00.000+08:00

The E-Commerce Law has a provision that reads as follows:

SEC. 37. Statutory Interpretation. - Unless otherwise expressly provided for, the interpretation of this Act shall give due regard to its international origin and the need to promote uniformity in its application and the observance of good faith in international trade relations. The generally accepted principles of international law and convention on electronic commerce shall likewise be considered.

What is the meaning of this provision? Let me paraphrase and explain it to you this way:

The law cannot promise to cover every eventuality. Issues will arise which are not directly addressed by the law. When this happens these things must be considered:

First, the Act is patterned after the UNCITRAL model law; it has international roots.

Second, stability, uniformity, and good faith is a must in international trade relations.

Third, principles of international law, and the convention on electronic commerce should be followed.

The practical result is that when the E-Commerce law is silent as to a specific issue, the UNCITRAL model law, the convention, and international principles shall be used to fill in the gaps. If these are not enough, then the general guideline is to do what is fair, what will promote stability and uniformity in international trade.

The UNCITRAL model law, the Convention, and our law are extremely alike. If no answer is found after consulting the E-Commerce law, it is not likely that an answer exists in the other two sources. General principles of internation law and good faith will then guide the resolution.

A Note on Reciprocity

Section 39 is a reciprocity clause that basically lays down a give-and-take rule. If a country gives us privileges under their e-commerce law, we will also give them privileges under our e-commerce law.

A Concrete Example

What are some issues that are not directly addressed by the law? The development of new technologies is not addressed directly. Privacy issues are also not directly dealt with.

What if you were able to create a special system that employs retinal scans and thumbmarks, combined with a PIN entry requirement, for online banking? Will that be considered an electronic key or signature? The definition requires that the electronic key or signature be in electronic form. The answer to this question, following the quidelines above, is yes. It should be considered, even if the key is not strictly in electronic form. A more complicated key or signature provides better security and reliability.

Scouring for the Original

2006-06-23T21:13:00.000+08:00

Nudes and Monkeys.

About a decade ago, a popular female celebrity was victimized by a scandal involving photographs of her allegedly half-nude, topless self at a party. Her fans came to her defense, screaming "The photographs are fake!" To prove their point, they took the photographs, replaced the celebrity's head with a monkey's face, and reposted them online. Almost anything in electronic form can be modified with shocking ease. So the question is pertinent, "How do I know that what I am seeing is the original?" Today, we will examine legal criteria for original electronic documents. We will answer the question, "How do I get the courts to treat an electronic document as an original?"

Electronic Documents

An electronic document is simply a document in electronic form. It’s a document stored, retrieved, processed, and viewed through electronic means. A detailed legal definition is available here. The glossary page contains technical definitions for readers interested in fine-print legal accuracy.

Why Isn't a “Copy” Good Enough?

To enforce a legal right recognized in an electronic document (like a contract in electonic form), the courts will want the original. Also, I think you will agree with me that nothing beats knowing you have the real thing. It gives you peace of mind.

The Acid Test

In countries that follow UN standards, such as the Philippines, the acid test is proof of retained integrity. First, you must provide reasonable assurance that the information in the document has remained untampered from the time its final form was generated. Second, if the law requires that the information in the electronic document be presented, a readable output must be provided.

In sum, you must prove integrity and provide a readable output. The output may be on a monitor or projector. As trivia, the Philippine Supreme Court issued rules that ironically allow printouts of these documents to be considered originals. (What’s electronic or original about a printout? Ask the Justices.) These requirements are paraphrased from the E-Commerce Law and the model law prescribed by UNCITRAL (UN Commission on International Trade Law).

Problems

Reasonable assurance of integrity, and output that can be read. Sound easy enough? Maybe in theory. Unfortunately, courts are not always pragmatic, neither are they predictable. We will need to wait for enough specific examples of "reasonable assurance of integrity" to get a clear picture of what the courts want. In the meantime, many companies trust third-party "warehouses" that will safely store documents, and testify to their integrity if the need arises.

Coming Soon

How do I know if a photo is fake? What is a watermark? How can I use it to protect my electronic photographs? All these and more on Techno-Mumbo-Jumbo!

Anatomy of (this) Blog

2006-06-22T22:28:00.000+08:00

Greetings.

In a few days, Techno-Mumbo-Jumbo! will begin a series of discussions on current ICT issues. Before all of this begins, I'd like to offer a quick introduction to ICT as a field.

ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is a catch-all phrase for a slew of technologies used to gather, store, transmit, process, and analyze information. ICT's influence spans legal, economic, and socio-cultural spheres. In fact, ICT has found its way to national policies, stock markets, educational institutions, and even romantic agendas. Business in modern countries now have to “storefront” online to stay competitive, governments provide service via the internet, and would-be lovers can “window-shop” online for their perfect mates.

It's becoming clear that in the next few years, ICT's prominence and necessity will only increase. As it does, so will the need for people to keep abreast of ICT issues. The aim of this blog is to bring practical information to you on relevant ICT issues, and facilitate discussion amongst its readers. Our first featured topic will be, “THE REAL THING: WHEN IS AN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ORIGINAL?” The post will be up in a day or two, so I do hope you take the time to check it out. If you wish to be notified by email when each new topic is available, just post your address in a comment.

Cheers!

Lawrence Aritao

Greetings!

2006-06-18T01:10:00.000+08:00

Welcome to TechnoMumboJumbo!, an ICT-related blog created and maintained by Lawrence Aritao.

A note on the url:
ondokea means "to grow" or "to make progress," in the Swahili language.

Cheers,

Lawrence Aritao