The Manila Bulletin Technews published a review of the Sony Play Station Portable immediately after it was launched in Japan last year (Technews, December 2004). It was made possible because of our International sources that made sure that Technews would have the honor of having the first commercial PSP in the Philippines.

When I examined the ASUS M303, something told me how familiar the brand name ASUS was. Even for a person who isn’t technically inclined like me, it was apparent that ASUS wasn’t a household name for mobile phones. I had an uneasy time trying to recall where I have seen or heard of the ASUS brand. Later on, I found an ASUS box cover at home, with a recently delivered motherboard for our busted CPU. Afterwards, I learned that ASUS was (and is) a popular brand name for PDAs, laptops, notebooks, drivers, servers and other computer related devices.

Two years ago, the Asia Foundation embarked on a Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) project with funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). TAG is a counter-corruption project at the national level and a good governance endeavor at the local level. The Asia Foundation embarked on this project to try to reduce systemic corruption by streamlining procedures in the bureaucracy believing that Filipinos by nature are not corrupt. One of the components of the TAG project is e-Governance.

The article for this week is written by Manuel Rex Lallata, Jr. I thank you Rex, for sharing your story. Once again, this column welcomes the stories of other IT Dinosaurs and if you do want to share your stories, you can send them to itdinosaur@gmail.com.

Information system security is a unique aspect of business, government, and society today. People who work to protect and secure information systems need a unique set of qualifications, of which technical knowledge is only one component. These individuals, to whom organizations regularly entrust their innermost secrets, must be experienced, trustworthy, and bound to a code of ethics.

One of the major things that you should consider if you want to establish a web presence is the cost of hosting, developing and maintaining your own website. The costs will vary depending on the type of website you want to put, and the audience or genre you are targeting.

The transformation of Google from a simple web search engine to a multi-functional website is just phenomenal. New services and tools are being offered by the company coupled with partnerships from other hardware and software vendors are helping Google to become a one-stop-site for online users.

The OHM Mega Memory Watch can store files, photos and music. With a USB plug located in the band, this state-of-the-art timepiece is very well protected from high temperature and humidity.

Bosch Security Systems introduces its Blue Line detectors – the company's latest addition to its line of commercial, residential and industrial intrusion detection products.

Goldtech International Distributor, Inc. announced the availability in the Philippines the iriver T family of PlaysForSure-verified flash-memory music devices. The players support Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) 10, making them the first flash devices to support portable subscription-based music services, such as Rhapsody To Go®, Napster To Go and Yahoo! Music Unlimited, providing customers with instant access to millions of songs.

Nokia announced the addition of three new models to its portfolio of business-optimized devices. The Nokia E60, Nokia E61 and Nokia E70 - the first of the new Nokia Eseries - are distinctively different in design and allow businesses to mobilize their workforce.

Samsung Electronics introduces the SGH-D600 a new sleek slide-up phone to the European market. This phone will be soon launched to other Southeast Asia, Middle East, and African markets. The SGH-D600 received a favorable review from Technews, published on September 5, 2005.

Sony has been dominating the gaming industry with the birth of PlayStation. And although there is an influx of other game consoles, a number of gamers are still loyal PS fanatics. Sony Philippines wants to show its gratitude by taking their gaming experience with PlayStation to a higher level. In order to achieve this, Sony is expanding its products with the inclusion of PlayStation family’s full line-up of accessories. And there is no other way to complete the ultimate gamer’s package than by offering an efficient after-sales service. Sony takes pride in offering this improved assistance through authorized Sony Service Centers with its new logistics scheme for PS parts and components.

Ever since Apple announced the Motorola ROKR iTunes phone, numerous websites have published several reviews of the phone. It is unfortunate that the Philippines is always a few weeks behind when it comes to getting the latest gadgets so this review will only focus on some of the features that I find interesting. For other reviews, I do recommend going to Google (http://www.google.com) and searching.

Although he’s in the tech field, the main appeal of Anton Diaz’s blog are the reviews of the many interesting places and restaurants he visits. In fact, we think that if he wasn’t an IT executive by day, he could have been a gourmand, a chef or travel writer. In any case, his growing number of readers are the ones who benefit since the entries come complete with routes on how to go to a certain destination, the attractions to be found , recommendations on what dishes to order and other goldmine of behind-the-scenes information. Our impression is that while this blogger loves his family, travel, food and all the fine things in life, he now pursues all these with greater passion since he’s compelled to share it with the rest of the world. Design-wise, Anton’s blog is easily identifiable because of the personal photos that dot his web space. If one is looking for data on gadgets and web publishing software, this is also the place to go.