Advertisements of consumer goods, such as bath soaps and dishwashing pastes, constantly blare us into purchase-mode submission with the "antibacterial" properties of some of these products. Constant use of one popular soap, for example, eliminates the risk of becoming sick because, as the ad says, 99 percent of germs are killed each time you wash your hands.

Another ad features a popular comedian selling his sponsor's brand of germ-killing dishwashing detergent.

Seeing these commercials, however, always makes me recall how my high school biology teacher told me and my classmates that bacteria and other microorganisms have this capability to develop resistance or immunity to whatever that can harm them. Are we then, by using these products, creating new breeds of ultra-strong germs that are immune to antibacterial agents?

No white option

Can't wait to get your hands on a white iPhone 4? Be prepared to wait a lot longer. Apple said last week that manufacturing problems have forced the company to delay the launch of a white version of the bestselling smart phone.

Pallid editions of the next-generation smart phone might be coming later this year. For the meantime, consumers have to do with black siblings of this cannot-live-without-a-jacket smart phone.

Gloves are off

American mobile phone vendor Motorola could not resist eliciting a few laughs at the expense of its more popular compatriot Apple. Last week, Motorola placed a full-page advertisement in The New York Times for its Droid X smart phone.

The ad said, "No Jacket Required," an unmistakable reference to the free cases that Apple is giving out to iPhone 4 owners as part of the Cupertino company's efforts to address the smart phone's signal-related problems. The advertisement then highlights the Droid X's antenna design, which Motorola claims allows users to hold the smart phone anyway they want.

Meanwhile, despite the reports of signal-reception problems, the iPhone 4 continues its bestselling run, toying with rival smart phones in the market.

Kindle no more

The Christmas shopping season is almost a good half year away, and yet we are already seeing retailers' shelves running out of stock of most in demand gadgets. Mobile subscribers, for example, are having a hard time getting their own iPhone 4 or Motorola's Droid X smart phones.

Recently, online retailer Amazon.com said that it had sold out of its basic Kindle ebook reader. The $189 ebook reader, the company said, is "temporarily out of stock."

Other versions of the Amazon gadget, however, are still available.

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