MANILA, Philippines — Just before Christmas in the previous year, we were treated to a veritable fiesta of the entire range of James Bond movies, starting with those of the venerable Sean Connery to Roger Moore to Pierce Brosnan (my three favorites) to the current Daniel Craig (am still making up my mind if I prefer the traditional suave Bond to the current rugged but coarse version). The others who were cast to play Bond in between, of course, were mostly forgettable.

But one cannot forget the panoply of gadgets put into play by the hero of the British Secret Service – all made possible by a spymaster’s version of a gadget factory managed by Q, who had to give way to age and natural means, of course, in the last few movies. This spy gadget dream factory would be shown testing many devices, some of which would make their way in to 007’s hands, to both be very useful in subsequent events and also to be totaled – as in the case of vehicles or other valuable spy gear. The one question we never asked is why Q always managed to come up with just the right gadget that would save 007’s neck in the process. But then, this is what makes movies such splendid entertainment fare.

In other movies, we have also been treated to more modern spy-craft gear, especially those that make use of GPS systems and ultra-powerful cameras out in space – which we now find being used in the handling and use of drone aircraft that have significantly changed the way wars are being fought. Now, one (usually an Air Force person trained for the job) can wake up 6,000 miles away, go to work after bringing the kids to school, enter a room with monitors and drone aircraft controls that monitor and maneuver a UAV located close to the combat zone, use it to locate and zap a terrorist cell, and then pack up to go home to a cozy dinner.

But do the old and new tools that we see featured in the Bond movies really make sense and, better yet, have real world applications? Well, the interesting thing is that if one googles this fact properly, one can find many serious pages devoted to the analysis of spy gear showed in the Bond movies that have been actually used or are in use today. Not just by spies, but even by everyday Joes like you and me.

We know that a lot of research is still being conducted in the area of laser technology, especially trying to get the beams from scattering after a certain distance, and being able to do their worst like those laser guns we see mounted in space craft in the movies.

Well, in one Bond movie, our hero used a laser hidden in a watch to cut through metal. Now, in the real world, there are lasers available using pen-like gadgets that focus a beam so bright (and in any color you want) and so strong that it actually cuts through metal just like in the movie. Perfect for those who get into situations that need a handy tool like this, although, this would also be a crazy gadget to end up in the hands of crooks or people who have only malice in mind. Remember, such a beam could also be used to incapacitate or blind people!

However, if one merely desires to have a powerful laser beam that can be used in emergency situations like signaling for help or attracting attention, one can contact groups like WickedLasers or LaserGlow for more information.

Remember one thing though, never use the laser pointer to check if pilots in aircraft will be blinded (they will!) or if others – or even pets — will also be similarly incapacitated (they certainly will!). Safety is always the best policy even in the use of Bond-type gadgets.

Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/348237/james-bond-gadgets-work

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MANILA, Philippines — A little over 25 years ago, I was tasked by the Excom of the bank I was working for to come out with a planning paper that turned out to be a document that outlined the growth and innovation parameters for the bank for the next decade or so.

What was envisioned in that paper was the initiation of a series of steps that would turn the bank into a virtual institution – one that would unleash the possibilities that computerization and digitization had began to bring. Among the innovations that we were proud of was for any officer dealing with clients to know the entire history of the accounts concerned down to their total dealings with the bank and the average yield we were earning from the relationship through an online monitor.

We also went for ATMs in a big way in order to clear up the lobbies of the long queues that were clogging up the banks each day, much more so on paydays. It also released the army of clerks and tellers who had to spend precious time stuffing pay envelopes for clients’ employees.

One idea that was not utilized when I left to do a stint in government was what I called a “shared ATM network” that was also supposed to father another innovation, a “shared Credit Card” that the members of a consortium could set up with a common database and main computer.

Instead, I passed off the idea of a friend working for another bank, and he got together with a few others to form Megalink. Later on, this same group of mid-senior level executives broke away from Megaling to form Bancnet. Now, thankfully, the systems are much more seamless than before, allowing for the sort of synergies that the original idea had spawned.

One present innovation that I have seen that intrigues me is one used by a bank known for many innovations but whose stodgy and conservative ways have often resulted in sloppy service and long queues.

In fact, in the branch we have our deposits in, which was formerly with the bank I was associated with before the merger with said stodgy bank, the manager told me service had declined but deposits had doubled. Thus, one can conclude that when it comes to peoples’ money, they tend to go with conservative institutions and stick with them even if they have lousy service.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I walked into our bank’s branch and saw the absence of the usual long line in front of the tellers’ booths. Instead, the helpful guards steered me to a bank of machines that looked a lot like the ones I see in the telco that I mainly use.

Our bank says that this digital customer assist platform helps cut down paperwork and queuing for just about any over the counter transaction that one makes in a bank. And, indeed, I can say that the few times I had to go make deposits for my wife – she is the one who makes use of this bank branch for our main joint account – and the family, I have had to stay only a few minutes each time.

This certainly is better than the 20 to 30 minutes that one had to stand in line previously. Now, all one had to do is follow the digital prompt and key in the appropriate figures and notes and then wait a few minutes before an electronic sign indicates the window you should approach.

Now, I am waiting for my main bank – said to be the biggest in the country – spend some money and use this or a similar system to unclog its own long queues, so that I can spend more time doing other things. Naturally!

Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/347469/the-innovations-stodgy-banks

MANILA, Philippines — Over 1,100 customers, partners, media and industry experts attended Symantec Vision 2011 in Singapore on November 18, 2011. Themed ‘Surround Yourself’, this conference provided them a platform to learn more about Symantec’s strategy and vision, the strategic IT trends driving the industry and how these trends could be leveraged by customers to transform their business today.

In his keynote address, Symantec’s president and chief executive officer Enrique Salem said IT trends in Mobile, Cloud Computing and Virtualization were driving increased connectivity on an unprecedented scale. And these connections are creating greater opportunities and risks to intellectual property, financial integrity and corporation reputation. In the Asia South Region, it is no different – these are the same key challenges faced by businesses.

The modern business interacts with customers, partners, employees and third parties in myriad of ways and adding to that complexity is information explosion. Enterprises need to accelerate their momentum to adopt technology innovations including Cloud and Virtualization to drive greater returns on their existing IT investments.

In Symantec’s 2011 State of Cloud Survey on Asia South which interviewed 1,100 respondents from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and India, organisations have mixed feelings when it comes to security. Majority of organizations ranked security the number one goal and number one concern when moving to the cloud. The survey also revealed that IT organizations are not prepared for the move to the cloud with more than half of the respondents saying their IT staff members are not ready at this time.

Symantec understands that customers require solutions to overcome the obstacles of moving to the cloud, such as streamlining security, compliance and availability requirements. Addressing this need is Symantec’s recent major refresh to its storage and availability management portfolio to help customers build the private cloud they want by leveraging their existing infrastructure.

Symantec Storage Foundation High Availability 6.0 provides resiliency for the private cloud with its virtual business service capabilities. It helps IT organizations manage and deliver storage as a service—optimized for physical, virtual, and cloud environments — by providing the ability to scale storage capacity up or down while applications remain online and reduces storage footprint.

Without the promise of protection, today’s connected world will not reach its full potential.  Symantec is committed in enabling users to secure and manage their information assets and identities so they can embrace the latest trends and leverage the full benefits of the connected world with confidence. We continue to engage in internal innovations, acquired technologies and partnerships, to help customers leverage trends in the Cloud, Mobility and Virtualization space.

At Symantec, we enable you to take advantage of these trends securely by focusing on what matters most – information. Simply by ensuring that you have private, secure and simple access to information – anywhere, anytime, anyhow, we empower you to transact confidently in today’s connected world.

Moving ahead into 2012, let’s look at the year ahead as one of transformation. Take control today by partnering Symantec to make your IT investments work.

Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/347470/strategic-trends-propelling-business-transformation

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MANILA, Philippines — Wireless keyboards and mice had been around for more than a decade.  While initial versions had been welcomed warmly for liberating users from keyboard tether and getting entangled in a mess of wires, their popularity fell about as fast as the hype that it generated—the batteries that are the source of power for the device just does not last long enough to truly redeem the user.

Logitech says it has been able to surmount this problem and provide longer wireless use of its mouse and keyboard.  Two AAA batteries to provide power to the keyboard for up to two years while two AA batteries for the mouse provides five months of use before it needs to be replaced.

The wireless K220 keyboard would bring a smile to the lips of any minimalist. Made only to the bare necessities of what is needed in everyday computing, it is a good space saver. It has the same keys as an ordinary keyboard complete with the num pad. The major difference would be that it is compressed into a smaller frame.  It is roughly 36% the size of a standard keyboard. Even the arrangement of the buttons are arranged to fit the small frame, with the lower keys curved to save space. Not only is it good when it comes to desktops, but it would certainly fare well with laptops and other portable PCs. The only downside is that the buttons are somewhat awkwardly placed and positioned, like having the directional buttons cramped just beneath the enter button.

The M150 mouse fares the same as the keyboard when it comes to aesthetics. Two buttons and the mouse wheel are present with the sleek curved body. Compared to the keyboard’s alien arrangement, users are unlikely to suffer from withdrawals with this mouse compared to the keyboard as the mouse is of the standard size. There are no bright flashing lights to obscure vision in darkly lit working environments with this mouse as it uses invisible optics for movement.

The accessories are both plug and play devices. You don’t have to power on your computer to be able to use it. Just plug in the USB and everything will fall into its place. Playing with distance, the mouse and keyboard uses a 2.4 GHz wireless technology to communicate with the USB receiver. Even at a distance of five meters from the receiver, the keyboard and mouse will still be able to communicate well with the computer and they have no lag times nor delays in transmitting.

Coupled with its ability to provide longer lasting wireless power at a compact package, Logitech really stretched the limits of tether-free computing with this combo.

Specifications 

System Requirements

Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7

USB port

Package Contents

Keyboard (K220)

Mouse (M150)

USB receiver

2 AAA (keyboard) and 2 AA (mouse) batteries

User documentation

Features:

The compact keyboard is about 36% smaller than standard keyboards

Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless. So you can work or play in more places—like your comfy couch—the wireless connection virtually eliminates delays, dropouts and interference and a range of up to 10 meters

Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/347681/mouse-and-keyboard-combo-rules

MANILA, Philippines — Samsung Electronics Philippines  Corporation ( SEPCO) went all out during the launch of its premium Series 7 CHRONOS notebook PC recently. Welcoming guests to the launch were  SEPCO Business Unit Director Eric Sulit, Business Adviser James Kwon, Product Managers Hannah Francisco and Beiai Torres , Marcom Manager Juno Limjap-Sison  and Intel’s Market Development Manager  Wowie Wong.

Encased in a stunningly thin and compact aluminum chassis, the high-spec Series 7 CHRONOS with Intel’s Core i5 processor embraces the ExpressCache technology, providing an extra 8GB of flash memory on the motherboard. This enables a faster start-up as well as increased overall performance with up to two times faster web browsing (based on Microsoft Internet Explorer) and two seconds wake-up.

The Series 7 CHRONOS also delivers maximum performance in its high quality display. Incorporating Samsung’s latest ‘MAX screen’ technology, the Series 7 CHRONOS enables users to experience an extra inch of immersive viewing without sacrificing mobility or portability with the 15” display contained within the form factor traditionally associated with a 14” model.

“Following the success of our stunning Series 9 Notebook, we are expanding our premium notebook range. With the Series 7, we have matched powerful new features with Samsung’s design and engineering excellence to produce a truly special product,” said Eric Sulit, Business Unit Head SEPCO IT. “Our goal is to create notebooks that constantly inspire and enrich customers’ lives. The Series 7 CHRONOS represents the peak of personal computing, letting you do more faster.”

Powered by Intel’s i5 processor, the Series 7 CHRONOS delivers unrivalled pace right from the start with ExpressCache, a technology that accelerates boot-up and start times. Samsung’s FastStart sees the PC ready to use in just two seconds, a 33% time-improvement on previous models, while Quick Boot has the notebook ready to go – from cold – in just 24 seconds.

The performance of the Series 7 CHRONOS is further enhanced by the notebook’s extended battery life. In addition to the battery life of up to 8 hours on a single charge (based on MobileMark test scores), Samsung’s Battery Life Plus technology keeps 80% of the cell’s original capacity in a life cycle lasting up to 1,500 charging cycles. This ensures that the battery can last up to five times longer than other notebooks.

Guests were encouraged to try the Samsung Chronos 7  while experiencing a Speed Race Game prepared by the Tuason Racing Team headed by multi awarded international car racer and the host of the evening  JP Tuason.

Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/347682/samsung-series-7-chronos-built-speed-and-performance

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