In the midst of my work early on that day’s morning, just right after breakfast, "Lynden," the name of a person with superior credibility and reputation in my life and a close friend sent me a message on YM that "she got mugged" in London, England, UK. Lynden and I are good friends and we met as classmates in our high school years here in the Philippines. However, she now lives and works in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

In the beginning of chat, I never felt any doubt at all because I initially believed that it was the real person whom I am chatting with. And with the disclosed event that "she" revealed, I was ultimately worried about "her" situation and immediately broadcasted on Twitter to find help desperately from people all over the world.

Although on chat "she" said that "she was in London and got mugged," I never doubted this statement as the real Lynden, although residing in Australia, is a professional person and already capable of traveling anywhere in world. And we never communicated online since the last time she visited my city to spend vacation last Christmas season. 

What hinted me that it wasn’t the real person I thought I’m chatting with while I was conversing with the scammer is that "she" couldn’t speak or write our local dialect, Cebuano, which the real Lynden uses every time she communicates with me both online and offline. Already doubting, I kept digging more and throwing more questions to the scammer. I asked for more personal information that Lynden and I both knew (like the similarity of the middle name of her mother and mine, Lynden’s middle name, and the name of beach resort we went last January). I’m surprised that the scammer was able to give me a correct answer of Lynden’s middle name. However, wrong answers were given to me on other questions confirming the validity of my doubts.

Twitter proved helpful in this kind of situation as some folks replied back and gave me advices on what to do and showed me some useful information that this scamming technique is not really new. What worried me was that this scam originated from Facebook’s vulnerability or the account owner’s negligence or recklessness to secure her account. Otherwise, it could be in other means like she not knowingly used malicious software or scripts on her computer, or perhaps, permitted dangerous Facebook apps that finally stole her personal information that resulted a hack to her Facebook account.

You can read here the full chat and some screenshots of this scam attempt.

To all other Facebook users who might be reading this: be careful. You could be the next victim.

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My plan has finally materialized by the launch of Tech Conclave’s first episode. Tech Conclave as what I wanted it to be is a tech news show that welcomes people from all walks of life who want to be up-to-date with the developments of information and communications technologies,
those who want to express their passion on this field, and participate tech events with computer geeks and enthusiasts.

Tech Conclave reignites journalism history

Everything started with my involvement to podcasting with Brad from Melbourne in our tech program called Tech Webcast, which I explicitly mentioned in my previous post. Tech Webcast exposed me to some of popular tech geeks online and brought back my interest with journalism. Due to my affinity with computers and technology, and great inspiration with existing and fully-developed tech news shows on the Internet, I came up an idea of creating my own style and that led to the creation of Tech Conclave.

Back in my high school years, I was very active with campus journalism with I got acquainted with journalism code of ethics and philosophies. My team championed in a Division Secondary Schools Press Conference (DSSPC) for a radio broadcasting event. I also used to be our school paper’s editorial cartoonist, sports editor, copyreader and headline writer, and I founded Alternative Newsmagazine (ANM), an independent newsletter in our school, where I served as Editor in Chief. Due to such involvements, I was given a Service Award in Journalism during my high school graduation day.

What’s ahead of Tech Conclave?

Besides discussion of sensible technology news and current events, I want Tech Conclave to touch the life of every geek that I know of and who wants to be connected with me, on the Internet. Starting Episode 2, I will feature one geek per episode and take a glimpse of a geek’s lifestyle, tech expertise, and computer engine (or control center), with their permission.

My geek friends, some of them became significant in my life in 2008, are working with me in developing Tech Conclave. New things will come along the way as I shape the program based on my ideas and audience demands.

What about Tech Webcast?

I just want to make it clear that I will still be hosting with Brad with Tech Webcast. Though its lousy format needs changes, we are planning to reformat the program in such a way that it will parallel the quality of its video counterpart, Tech Conclave, and interoperate with it. Tech Webcast provides us more freedom to discuss technology issues, trends and affairs that is not possible with the linear format of Tech Conclave.

You can watch the first episode of Tech Conclave by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0RQveWmtoM

Please subscribe leave a comment, rate the video and make it as a favorite if you like it. It will help boost my motivation to better episodes in the future and you’ll be happy to be part of it.

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Aspiring 3D artists and enthusiasts rejoice: thanks to Microsoft, TrueSpace software finally goes completely free for everyone. Now, you can do 3D modeling, 3D animation and 3D production without incurring any cost at all!

Although I’ve been a good fan of other professional 3D modeling and animation software such as Autodesk’s  3ds Max versions and the former renowned Maya, I would say TrueSpace has real muscles to compete  — no wonder why Microsoft decided to purchase Caligari, the developer company of TrueSpace, and have their product to work with Virtual Earth 3D and Live Search Maps. Based on my own experience, TrueSpace is easier to use and there are lots of comprehensible official and unofficial tutorials available on the Web. It is best for both students, 3D enthusiasts and professionals.

To get the software, you need to visit TrueSpace page on Caligari’s site and register. This registration is used for you to gain access to their support forums, shared spaces which are very useful for beginners, and technical support.

I have downloaded the software myself, installed it on my Windows Vista and it really rocked! The free download comes not only with the 3D modeling software, but with nifty tutorials in PDF format as well, coupled with downloadable videos.

The version that I got is Caligari TrueSpace 7.6 and you can download it using this link. If you finish any 3D rendition from using that software, send it to me and I will post it on this blog. Enjoy!

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Broadband or Mobile Broadband?

If you heard of broadband before and mobile broadband and think they are the same — well, they are not. I’ve searched through Google and stumbled across an excellent mobile broadband website called Broadband Expert  that tells you the difference between these two popular ways to get hooked on to the Internet. The site is more useful if you are living in the United Kingdom area as it presents broadband deals from different Internet Service Providers (ISPs), comprehensive mobile broadband comparison, broadband speed test, broadband news, and even broadband forum and reviews.

If you live a mobile life, mobile broadband is definitely a good solution to get always connected to the Internet wherever you are and whatever you want do.

My Personal Mobile Broadband Experience

I myself is a subscriber of a mobile Internet service here in the Philippines. In our country, mobile networks are best suited to connect people and even more pervasive due to our archipelago’s geographical situation. My Internet at home is running on wireless mobile broadband with speeds reaching as high as 384 kbps as of the moment. For sure, this does not compete yet the wired DSL broadband solutions with speeds reaching beyond 10mbps, but with 384 kbps, video streaming and web browsing are not a problem at all. YouTube.com and other video streaming websites load fast and it feels like being connected on a decent DSL connection.

So far, my only complaint with mobile wireless broadband is its vulnerability to signal and speed loss due to certain circumstances. Bad weather like storms and any object obstructing my mobile wireless’ antenna direction towards the mobile network tower (or cell site) definitely caused a measurable decrease on my mobile Internet’s speed. Unfortunately, my mobile Internet connection is non-roaming — therefore, I can’t bring my antenna with me anywhere I go. Fortunately, I have my old Nokia N80 which lets me connect to same mobile network through its 3G capabilities.

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Sensing the threat from Apple’s pioneering mobile phone product, Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer at the present, announced in the recent months that they are preparing a set of high-end mobile phones aimed to topple the hype caused by iPhone. Nokia fans dub these upcoming phones as "iPhone killers."

Other mobile phone manufacturers are also working their own high-end phones to compete with iPhone.

iPhone’s Shortcomings

Apple’s first iPhone caused so much hype worldwide basically with its groundbreaking multi-touch feature. Buyers found out later, however, that it was nevertheless an imperfect device. Here are the most criticized/missing features in the original iPhone that would have made it the best mobile phone in 2007:

• SIM is locked by default to a single carrier
• It lacks 3G support (upcoming feature)
• Closed environment: no third party applications (supported on March 2008)
• 2 Megapixel Camera is mediocre and lacks advanced imaging application found on today’s high-end mobile phones
• No video recording support
• Safari web browser does not support Java or Flash
• Ringtones cannot be customized
• Bluetooth features are basic, no file transfer
• Cannot be used as mass storage
• No memory expansion card support

The Facelift And Coming of iPhone 3G Version

Aware of its phone’s limitation, Apple swiftly developed a series of firmware upgrades to extend iPhone’s functionality and new revamped iPhone version to be released next month. The upcoming new iPhone version, so-called "iPhone 2.0" or "3G iPhone," is rumored to feature up to 32 GB storage, a 3G chipset of course, and other features yet to be revealed at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 on June 9-13 in San Francisco, USA. The said conference will also bring center stage the development platform Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard and the future of iPhone.

To recall, last March 6, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone software roadmap, iPhone Enterprise Beta Program and released the iPhone Software Development Kit for interested third-party developers. These moves apparently show the exciting things ahead for the iPhone device.

Nokia’s "iPhone Killer"

The menace caused by iPhone’s boom last year caused Nokia (and other mobile phone companies) to fortify its lineup of high-end phones. Nokia has been the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer and still the top producer of advanced smartphones they dub as "multimedia computers." Last year, avid mobile phone fanatics considered a direct competition between iPhone and Nokia’s highly acclaimed Nokia N95 smartphone. Things were much brighter for Apple though, due to iPhone’s innovative multi-touch feature, they became the agent of change (again) this time in the way how we interact a mobile phone. Nokia hopes this year to protect its reputation in the mobile industry with their upcoming Nokia N96 model, an addition to its existing feature-rich high-end NSeries smartphones, set to be released in the third quarter.

If you missed iPhone last year and still planning to buy one, you may want to check the comparison table below and decide which smartphones are good and works best for you.

My Personal Standpoint

Steve Jobs most likely would announce the exact specification of the revamped iPhone at WWDC event next month. It is certain however, that the will be no significant improvements with the next iPhone hardware version other than much-awaited 3G chipset which will enable faster mobile Internet (and perhaps, hardening of protection against jailbreaking and hacking).

Feature-wise, if you don’t mind of iPhone’s multi-touch input and bigger screen display, Nokia’s N96 "iPhone killer" remains supreme. What can I say? It has everything you need for a great mobile experience. With a whopping 16 GB internal memory that can be expanded with a card up to 26 GB, you can move your PC’s contents to it and play with them in Nokia N96. The video recording, digital TV, FM reception, and advanced imaging (things that iPhone sorely missed) make Nokia N96 more attractive and better multimedia phone.

Now talking if Nokia N96 will be able to "kill" iPhone: this is improbable until we hear the true specs of the 3G iPhone and see how it performs. With Apple opening the doors of iPhone to third-party developers, Nokia will find it difficult to convince iPod lovers not to buy an iPhone.

If you own a Mac, I recommend that you wait for the release of iPhone 3G. It will work better for you. For Windows users and individuals who want to be more productive, Nokia N96 offers us great resources and miniature handheld computer in our hands. But if I could have both smartphones in my hands, then I surely would.

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The company’s traffic ranking system has been widely trusted as a reliable indicator of website popularity and appraisal value. It was widely criticized as well by web professionals and bloggers saying that by installing Alexa toolbar, any webmaster can have good rankings quickly. This assumption tends to be true with my experience as Alexa rankings contradicts the site statistics I get from Google Analytics and StatCounter.

With the new algorithm and upcoming new features to be released soon, Alexa hopes that their detractors will shut their mouths off as their improved services now offer more accurate traffic rankings. However, they might as well get overwhelmed with negative feedbacks from millions of site owners who had their traffic ranks dropped down.

Let us say for instance, this blog dropped from 380,000 to 586,000. Now for a popular blog, JohnCow.com, had his rank down from 25,000 to 104,000 – fair enough to cause a heart attack.

If your sites dropped as well their ranks, send your feedback here and you’ll not be alone.

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Of course, the news got me excited as I am a Vista lover myself despite the odds that were brought about by its original package. I am certain that many patient Vista users are hopeful that the service pack would deliver solutions to the major issues of the operating system and improve further significantly its overall performance. I once posted in this blog how I love Windows Vista but I also pointed out some gray areas that I wished to be improved. The service pack most likely would address them.

To end users like me, here are the major features we have to care for included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1:

• Previously-released updates, security patches, and fixes (if you missed them).
• Windows Vista kernel update from version 6.0 to 6.1 for Windows Server 2008 compatibility.
• Changes to Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) that will remove the Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) and Non-Genuine State (NGS) mode. If you’re using a genuine Windows Vista, then you don’t have to worry about this.
• Changes to Kernel Patch Protection “PatchGuard” feature. This lets antivirus products to integrate tightly to the operating system.
• Changes to Vista’s Instant Search feature. Now, third party desktop search products like Google Desktop can integrate more with Windows Vista.
• Device compatibility improvement: Windows Vista SP1 will now support over 80,000 devices than its original package support of 40,000 devices.
• File operation improvements. Microsoft says SP1 will enhance the file copy operations both local and network from 44 to 71 percent. I am definitely very happy for this.
• Increased reliability and security. Windows Vista SP1 is expected to deliver higher number of hours between disruptions. Meaning, things like non-responding applications, application hangs and crashes, and system crashes, are significantly reduced.

So, what do you think?

How Vista SP1 Will Be Distributed and When

How and when Windows Vista SP1 will be distributed is a bit confusing. What is certain is that Microsoft will deploy Service Pack 1 release starting the second or third week of March.

To those who have Windows Vista on their PCs and laptops (like me), you will be able to install the service pack in a staged manner through Windows Update. Last week, I got one of the two prerequisite updates of Windows Vista SP1 installation. Microsoft will also release standalone download installations of Vista SP1 through Microsoft Download Center on mid-March. PCs and laptops with Windows Vista SP1 pre-installed, Windows Vista SP1 for enterprise customers, and Windows Vista SP1 retail copies, will be released in the coming months after the upcoming distribution on March.

Oh well, while I’m still waiting for its release, I’ll just keep my fingers crossed. I trust Microsoft with this. How about you?

Are your ready for Vista SP1?

Braindump Exams: PMI-001 is almost as complicated as 640-816. This is why both are awarded same level of credibility and hence qualify one for 650-393. For those who want to go for 70-648, it is compulsory to write 1z0-042

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