The rainy season is upon us once again. And not a day too soon, most of my drinking buddies say. With the hellish ways that the past summer had seared everyone for the past couple of months or so, can anybody blame my friends for feeling the way they do?

Unfortunately, the rainy season is also the time when most of our friendly typhoons come for a visit. The rainy days have this tendency to become stormy days. These islands, moreover, often become floodways and oceans each time some inches of rain come falling down upon us. Must be those missing trees and forests that are causing all the flooding.

Some people I know lose their desire for sleep each time they hear the rain pitter-pattering on their roofs, memories of Ondoy and Pepeng still fresh on their minds.

Have a safe rainy season.

Age Doesn't Matter

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project has found out that adults and teenagers are similarly prone to texting while driving. And adults are worse than their younger counterparts in at least one aspect — they are more likely to talk on their mobile phones while driving.

I have the feeling that mobile-phone-related (or caused) vehicular accidents are creeping up the charts to where traffic accidents due to driving under the influence and insufficient maintenance are. Makes you wonder how people can be so stupid enough to use their mobile phones while driving.
And this mobile-phone itch afflicts not only the private motorists. On at least two occasions, I have witnessed bus drivers happily yakking on their cellular phones while zigzagging along EDSA. Again, this makes you wonder how traffic enforcers see their job description. I wonder how they can be so blind to over-speeding, smoke-belching buses doing their version of the Russian roulette on the metropolis' main thoroughfare.

Bribing Developers?

This is quite a reversal of roles for erstwhile number one technology company Microsoft. In the Windows-centric ecology, the software giant dictates the terms under which software developers exist and do business. Although not as obsessive compulsive as that builder of the most popular smart phone, Microsoft nevertheless is so used to getting what its heart desires in the Wintel world.

It is quite another thing, however, when it comes to the smart phone market, a world where Microsoft has been losing market shares for the longest times it almost seems like a norm. Anyway, Steve Ballmer’s company is set to release the latest update of its mobile OS, the Windows Phone 7, and Microsoft seems to be doing its best to attract applications developers.

There are reports that Microsoft is offering to provide developers of bestselling iPhone apps to make their applications compatible with the Windows Phone 7 platform. While not exactly denying these reports, the software company put another spin to it. A company representative said that indeed it is offering support and incentives to apps developers including “hardware, tools, technical support, and in some cases limited financial support…”

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.