Microsoft and Apple have both had their mobile platforms out in the market for the longest time now: Windows Mobile (which had its earlier manifestation as Windows CE) and Apple’s "i" series (iPod, iPhone). But it’s only now that the market has grown to a considerable — and lucrative — scale. This time, there are other aggressive players out in the battlefield: BlackBerry and Google’s Android (which has yet to make a clear showing), among others. Let’s not forget Symbian, by the way.

What form could this new war take? What would the battles be?

One thing seems evident: the ones with huge resources are bringing out the big guns, which, in the world of technology and development, takes the form of venture capital. For example, Google announced in November 2007 that it was seeding a $10-million fund for developers who would take up their challenge: to develop applications on top of Android. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a financial organization that backs technology entrepreneurs, announced last March the launch of a $100-million fund for developers of iPhone-specific applications.

Other similar moves are expected to follow, like the rumored $150-million BlackBerry Fund. In the past, applications developers came up with a sound idea first, and the venture capitalists followed. Now it seems the tables have turned — perhaps this is due to the intense competition in the IT arena.

The Philippines is known as the SMS capital of the world, isn’t it? Beyond that, the use of mobile applications has steadily been growing locally. Development-wise, we are not lagging either. Take a look at this online repository of Windows Mobile applications developed by Filipinos: Airfagev.com.

Clearly, there is a market for mobile in the Philippines. So where are the angel investors who are willing to put up the capital for our talented Filipinos? Our developers do need the financial help in order to hit it big, not only in the local scene but in the global as well.

In line with this, I believe it is high time our government gives more than lip service towards supporting our IT industry. Politicians have lately been touting the role of IT in the country’s development… but what concrete steps have been taken? The highest government body that oversees our progress in the IT industry still remains a commission, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

CICT was created two years ago to address the growing IT concerns nationwide, but it was supposed to be an interim arrangement, wherein it would be upgraded to a full Cabinet-level department. That has not happened yet.

The CICT, in its present mandate, is only an advisory body. It has no true powers of programs implementation. But in the event that it becomes the Department of ICT, it will have the jurisdiction and the necessary wherewithal to implement development and support programs for Filipino IT companies.

The moment is now. Let’s not allow ourselves to miss the train.

The N81 is a dual-camera 3G phone, but does not have support for HSDPA, which has been available for sometime now. It does, however, let you access the Internet via wifi, so that probably makes up for it. Accessing via wifi in various hotspots -– whether open networks or WEP-enabled secure networks -– didn’t give me any problems, except that websites loaded rather slowly at first. The built-in Web browser is user friendly, though, and looks nice on the 2.4” 16-million-color QVGA display.

As a prolific blogger, I could appreciate the N81 for its Internet capabilities, but then there are the downsides. First off, the keypad is way too small for me. The middle keys are OK, providing good feedback. But the keys on the bottom edge are difficult to use -– my finger keeps slipping!

Perhaps this handset was designed primarily for music and gaming, rather than for serious data input. At the bottom of the screen, where they phone-specific keys are located, there are extra buttons for music: play/pause, forward, rewind and stop. In fact, whatever you’re doing with the phone, you can play music with just a keystroke.

Another downside that I find very surprising is the camera. It’s only at 2 megapixels, and it’s not even a Carl Zeiss lens. Plus, the photos are grainy! No matter that the light is adequate, it can’t seem to take decent photos. Video is even worse.

But if we talk about music, that’s a whole different story on the N81! This handset has full stereo capability, having a speaker on each side of the rather thick body. The output is astonishingly powerful and will certainly delight any music lover who’s in the market for a portable and feature-packed phone-cum-player. And with 8GB, the N81 can store hours and hours of music.

Speaking of hours, the battery is one huge plus factor. Based on my near-abusive usage of the test unit, the N81 lasted two whole days before it bothered to ask me for a recharge. I had wifi turned on for several hours, was listening to music tracks, and texting people left and right during that time. I also had Bluetooth running so that I could listen on the Nokia BH-604 Bluetooth headset.

The BH-604 is an awesome headset! It’s a full stereo system that lets you enjoy music like you were in a concert hall, and it’s totally compatible with the N81.

If you value being constantly in touch with your online contacts, the N81 offers good value. With its wifi connectivity and large memory, you can download a whole range of Internet applications, on top of the pre-installed email and Web programs. I use the Nimbuzz client, which lets me connect to Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, ICQ, etc. all at the same time.

The N81 is also supposedly a gaming console, since it’s Nokia’s effort in promoting N-gage, its gaming platform. But at the retail price of around P17,200, and if you’re in it for the games, you’d probably be better off with a PSP.

One other thing I appreciate in this phone is its content search program. It has a built-in search facility for virtually anything that’s inside the phone’s memory. Search for a keyword, and the program returns results from all over the place, including SMS messages. And the search speed is pretty decent, too.

On the whole, it’s an affordable phone with powerful features. The disappointments could be overlooked, especially if you’re a mobile and music addict.

I normally write about blogging stuff over at Blogie Blog, but this post isn’t about blogging. WordCamp, you see, isn’t like the Mindanao Bloggers Summit or the iBlog Summit. WordCamp’s content is usually more technical in nature. As are many open-source software, this powerful CMS is written in PHP, and so this event will cover plenty of ground on this language, as well as XHTML and other similar topics.

(Doesn’t mean, though, that there won’t be any partying!)

The target audience of WordCamp Philippines will be bloggers, naturally. However, we would like to encourage PHP developers to participate, as well as Web weavers (especially those who are very much into XHTML and CSS) and computer graphics designers.

There will be technical sessions on how to make full use of, and extend, WordPress: these will cover plugins and template development. For the more artistically inclined, there will be presentations and demonstrations on how to create themes for WordPress.

The event will be on 25 October 2008. While it’s true that the core organizers are based in Davao, it has been decided by the group to hold WordCamp Philippines 2008 in Metro Manila. (The actual venue has not yet been decided on.)

Too bad for Dabawenyo PHP coders… Although, I do hope that some of them will be able to make it to the event. Hey, it’s still about 5 months away — time to start saving up for the trip to the capital!

For updates on WordCamp, please subscribe to the official blog’s RSS feed.

Here’s the official press release:

The DigitalFilipino.com Club is organizing a networking event where e-business and e-commerce industry players can catch up and exchange updates in the industry.

Who can attend?
Anyone interested in e-commerce or e-business (entrepreneurs, business/ technical decision makers, ad agencies, media advertisers, Internet marketers, payment gateway service providers, bloggers, web developers, web designers, Internet and e-commerce trainers / instructors) are more than welcome to attend.

Why attend?
Meeting local e-commerce entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, service providers, online movers and shakers. Let’s network for fun and professional purposes. Talk about developments in the industry. Any excuse to meet like-minded people on a Wednesday late afternoon.

If you’re interested to know more of the digital world and e-commerce, join us! For more information, please send me a message via my contact form, or leave a comment here.

Two of CNN’s websites were also hacked, presumably by the same group. Or if not the same group, then other groups who share similar objectives, and that is to attack Western media organizations.

China has been under fire from American and European groups for its crackdown on Tibet. Recently, the Chinese government quashed a Tibetan uprising, the aim of which was to clamor for independence and self-rule. This Communist country has also been embattled lately due to highly publicized government-endorsed censorship policies covering the Internet.

In reaction to China’s strong-arming, thousands of protesters repeatedly attempted to extinguish the Olympic torch during its journey across Europe last weekend. In Paris, it was almost snuffed out five times during the torch run. (For more news on this, do a search for ‘China Olympics protest’ on cnn.com)

The hacking incident – which might only be one of many to come, some fear – was a form of retribution, although a misguided one. According to the media’s intelligence sources, the online attacks were perpetrated by private citizens eager to show their nationalistic verve. If you read the English statements in the hackers’ message, you’ll get a glimpse of what’s in their minds. It is possible they’re thinking that the anti-China protests are a one-way thing.

Do the Chinese people actually know why many Westerners are remonstrating against their totalitarian government? (Does the average mainland Chinese even realize that their government is totalitarian?) Knowing that Beijing censors the national trimedia – and the Internet, courtesy of Google – can we be certain that the Chinese are fully aware of what’s truly going on around them? It is conceivable that what the people are allowed to absorb are no more than finely-filtered news reports.

And yet, there are not a few expert programmers in China, and the West is beginning to fear that there might just be more than enough hackers around for comfort. CNN has reported in the recent past that there could be thousands of hacking-capable young Chinese in the capital alone. These are restless youth who could very well be eager to prove themselves worthy of the national honor.

China has vehemently denied supporting hacking activities by its nationals. But there have been half-rumors permeating through the Internet that successful hackers who’ve been able to infiltrate Western websites have been remunerated by their government ex post facto.

With their sheer size, the hosting of the Olympics this year, plus their unapologetic incursion into the global capitalist market, China is indeed formidable. It is a force that cannot be ignored at all. In our generation’s increasingly wired world, what could be more scary than a technologically advanced population that has no scruples against hacking? Not to mention digital piracy.

Today, the world’s #1 search engine (among other things) is a multibillion-dollar company with well over 16,000 employees. It has become the single biggest item on everyone’s mind when using the Internet. In other words, Google is now constantly under close scrutiny by critics and regular users alike.

Google has been branded as “evil” by many industry watchers, due to some decisions it has made that have impacted a few holy-grail-level beliefs held by Internet users. Privacy: the Google Maps service is seen by some as an intrusion to privacy. In the U.S. and soon in Australia, you can see photographed views of streets from the ground; and there have been complaints of actual faces and plate numbers being visible.

Censorship: When Google entered China in 2006, it complied with censorship restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. The censorship effectively blocks search results that displayed — in the Chinese government’s perception — politically sensitive information. Google CEO Eric Schmidt came under fire for acceding to this blatant disregard for free access to public information. Schmidt was quoted as saying, “We actually did an evil scale, and decided not to serve at all was worse evil.”

If you think about it, “Don’t be evil” is a rather impossible dictum to follow. As with any publicly listed company, the priority of a business is to provide ever-increasing returns in favor of its shareholders. This could — and often does — conflict with any company’s perceived core values.

Apparently, Google is using its shareholders as an excuse for dealing with totalitarian regimes. But more and more lately, people are holding Google to its self-imposed maxim. The corporate motto has encouraged the public to hold Google to a higher standard.

Why? Because people have not forgotten why Google became so widely accepted in such a short time: that it wanted to change the world. And it has. For example, its email product, Gmail, was the reason for Yahoo’s and Hotmail’s scampering to increase their inbox space allotment. Do you remember that Yahoo! Mail only let you have 4 megabytes to store all your emails and attachments? That’s just 2 high-quality photos and your inbox is done for.

Its flagship search product, of course, revolutionized the way people found information on the Web. In no time at all, the expression “Google it!” became a household word all over the world.

People won’t let Google forget its roots. Internet users are increasingly disappointed about the direction the search giant is taking. In fact, in many instances, it has been labeled as ‘the next Microsoft’. And this is uttered unflatteringly, mind you.

Being the new big kid on the block — nay, the whole neighborhood! — is certainly tough. It can only go either of two ways in the eyes of the public: Google becomes the hero of the Internet, or it becomes the bully.

Heavily involved in community-building myself (e.g., MindanaoBloggers.com and the erstwhile IT Society of Davao), I believe I would benefit greatly from the meaty presentations and vigorous discussions that will certainly take place during the Conference.

I have had my small successes in the brave world of networking, but I have had a number of disappointments, too. That is why I’m looking forward to being able to attend this Conference in May: to learn from others. As well, I might just be able to share my experiences with the other participants. It is, after all, a social networking event, which I hope will be brimming with like-minded practitioners.

As a member of the DigitalFilipino.com Club, I’ve been on the receiving end of business deals that have helped push my career forward. It is because of that, and my trust in this organization as an initiator of purposeful educational events, that I would not want to miss the Social Networking and eBusiness Conference.

Up for grabs are invaluable sound bytes of wisdom from the likes of Giovanni Bacareza (Chikka.com), David Jones (Friendster), Jose Carlos Medina (Level-Up Games), Faith Ponte (itzamatch.com), Janette Toral herself, and quite a few more resource speakers.

The Internet of late has become an almost chaotic environment. How do you make sense of it all? If you’re a marketer and eyeing the digital medium, have you considered how best to navigate the tumultuous electronic pathways towards reaching your goals? What is Web2.0 exactly? And just how important is social networking as a marketing tool?

The event is still a month away — plenty of time to prepare for a trip to the capital. Attending the Conference is worth the investment, to be sure.

Social Networking & eBusiness Conference Phils.

• 20 - 21 May 2008
• Hotel Intercontinental, Ayala Ave., Makati City
• For seat reservations & inquiries, please contact:
• Ms. Maricor Tornea or Angie Tuzon, tel.: (2)896-0639, 896-0637, 899-6216
• Email: fiera[at]info.com.ph

This post is only about a couple of teasers. The real deal will follow as soon as I have more details to blog about.

A new-media company is in the process of being registered with the SEC (I won’t mention the company name yet… in case it doesn’t get approved!). “New media” is a term that describes entities whose main focus is on the activities of Internet-based marketing and advertising. This new outfit is comprised of 5 bloggers, including yours truly. The reason why we’re putting up this company is the emergence of local demand for new-media services: Web marketing, promotions via blog sites, Internet advertising, SEO.

It’s not just about making Web sites anymore, and companies are starting to see this. They have come to realize that, even with a Web site, there is a missing layer between their sites and the people that they want to target as audience. That layer is what we’re here to provide.

Next up is related to media: a Web-based ‘TV show’ for technology-related content. It’s more aptly called a Webcast, and it’s in production now. The show will be called PinoyTech TV. The Webcast will feature industry news, gadget reviews, personality profiles, IT investment destinations, and employment opportunities. Watch out for it!

(The PinoyTech TV outfit, by the way, is looking for enthusiastic videographers and writers who are attuned to the inner workings of the national IT industry.)

Another online service that’s being developed is Davao Tech Jobs (www.davaotechjobs.com). It’s already live, but is still in beta. Applicants can already send in their resumes, which will then be matched with job openings. Companies can post job openings by sending them via an online form — this service is currently free of charge.

More later!

Very recently, two analysts from Gartner, a research services firm, asserted that Microsoft is now on shaky ground due to the state of Windows Vista, which they described as “collapsing”. The analysts, Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald, practically assessed the latest version of the Windows OS as a failure due to disappointingly low market acceptance. According to a rival firm, Forrester Research, by the end of 2007, only a little more than 6% of enterprise-level PC users had migrated to Vista.

The main reason cited for the poor sales performance is the lack of understanding among general users of what makes Vista so much better than Windows XP. And for those who do know, many of them are turned off by the resource-hungriness of Vista. Also, it’s reported that most of those who have adopted the latest OS were users of the nearly-extinct Windows 2000; apparently, Windows XP users (like me) are staying put.

Gartner is now widely quoted as saying that Microsoft is in an “untenable” situation. It predicts that Microsoft Corp. could be in financial straits by 2011 due to a presumed thinning of the latter’s market base. The firm further forecasts that a large number of technology users will be shifting to “OS-agnostic applications” (computer programs not dependent on what operating system is installed), thereby adversely affecting another area that has been dominated by Microsoft: office productivity suites. A prime analogy would be Google Apps, which competes with Microsoft Office.

The Google Apps suite — documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendar, email, and even more to come — is deployed over the Web, and so is made available to anyone for free, regardless of what’s making his or her computer run. Increased acceptance of such systems could very well erode Microsoft’s revenues from MS Office, reportedly $16 billion in 2007 (including Exchange Server, which allows Office applications to be deployed utilized across the Internet, among other things).

Gartner then proceeded to explore the notion that this is what’s inducing Microsoft to get its hands on Yahoo: to finally capture, and capitalize on, the Internet-ads history (and potential) of the first search engine to gain worldwide attention.

True, virtually every Web venture is targeting Internet advertising as a source of huge revenue. Even Google is in the bandwagon (if it’s not, in fact, the horse). Microsoft, however, has remained staunchly a software publisher and provider, and has ruled over this landscape for a couple of generations. Therefore, isn’t it rather a stretch to assume that this particular Goliath will just keel over and die?

The points made by Gartner are worth looking over. But, in my opinion, MS Office and Windows (perhaps not Vista but the keenly-anticipated Windows 7) are here to stay for longer than anyone might care to imagine.

So, why does Microsoft want to have Yahoo!? At this point, it’s still anybody’s best guess. My take on this is: isn’t it but natural for a business to proceed into further territory?

However, it’s not only the number of participants that’s in consideration here. The Davao TechnoKapihan is ideally an industry-wide coming together for discussion, planning, catching up on the latest… all for the purpose of somehow getting the Davao IT industry moving forward. But the event has never gotten everybody together at all.

While there are those who have been trying to jumpstart the Kapihan from the very start, I’m afraid a large chunk of the members of industry are not participatory.

Why? Is it apathy? That could be part of the mix, but it’s not the whole recipe.

We’ve all heard the expression, “There’s no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher.” The analogy is probably a stretch, but I’d like to lay it down just the same: the supposed powers that be in Davao’s IT industry do not seem to be representative of the population. In other words, if the generals are not able to rally their troops, that’s not the failure of the latter.

It frustrates me why the real industry players do not contribute as much as I think they should in building Davao IT as a whole. But at the same time, I do understand why. As both a member and an observer of this industry, I’ve been noticing a certain common sentiment percolating among my colleagues. From one of the Dabawenyo software developers — who is not active in any IT organization but is otherwise talented and business-savvy — I got this comment: ‘Our concerns are not being addressed by the existing organized entities who purport to be our leaders.’

That about sums it up, I think.

The root of the problem is something I’ve pointed out time and again: we don’t know where we are, what our strengths are, so we’re practically groping in the dark, hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Someone just has to realize that he’s got a lighter in his pocket.

On a more hopeful note, this year will see more IT events that will aim to bring in more investments to Davao. This I gathered from the TechnoKapihan last week. I look forward to seeing more of my colleagues getting involved here, as well as seeing IT organizations becoming more attuned to the real deal behind what they perceive to be the city’s IT industry.