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Posts published in “Internet”

Viber introduces Dating feature

Viber, one of the Philippines top messaging platform, just launched a dating feature that was made to help users “make real connections”.

Even though the feature is still in beta test, users can setup their dating profile by opening the mobile app, then at the bottom tap the “More” option. Your Viber Dating Profile will only visible to users who are also using the feature and will not affect your regular Viber Profile.

Your Viber Dating Profile will include your Name, Birthday, Gender, and Sexual orientation. It also include a brief bio and users can upload a maximum of six (6) photos. Users can also indicate if they are looking for i.e, relationship, new friends, or just some fun. Unlike the sexual orientation and dating preference, your real name and age cannot be change once you’ve set it, the company said that “name or age can only be changed by deleting your profile and creating a new one.”

Since there are hoards of dating apps available out there, Viber’s advantage is that people are already using the app and adding a dating feature within the platform could be ideal for users who do not want to manage another account or profile.

For more details on the Viber Dating feature, you checkout the support page of Viber Dating.

Converge announces Netflix and Fiber X bundle

Converge, one of Philippines leading ISP, announced “the new Converge Netflix Bundle, where new and existing FiberX customers will be able to have both an internet and Netflix plan, all in one. The new offering aims to provide countless entertainment options and a better streaming experience for FiberX users.”

The new Converge Netflix Bundle will include a FiberX plan that offers 325 Mbps speeds, a Netflix subscription with a lock-in period of 36 months, a new WiFi-6 Next Gen Modem, and a Converge Xperience Box with Freemium Channels — all put together into one subscription for the convenience of the customer.

The new Converge Netflix Bundle starts at Php 1,798 per month, inclusive of a Converge FiberX plan with boosted speeds of 325 Mbps, a WiFi6 modem, a Converge Xperience Box, and a Basic Netflix subscription that can support one HD stream at a time. Customers can avail of more premium bundles that can support multiple devices streaming at the same time and can offer additional Boost Modes with speeds of up to 200 Mbps. For existing subscribers, the Converge Netflix Bundle is available as an exclusive add-on starting at Php 298 per month.

YouTube to increase video length of Shorts to 3 minutes

Todd Sherman, Director of Product Management, YouTube Shorts;

Starting on October 15, you can upload Shorts up to 3 minutes long. This was a top requested feature by creators, so we’re excited to give you more flexibility to tell your story. This change applies to videos that are square or taller in aspect ratio, and won’t affect any videos you uploaded before October 15.

Youtube introduces Shorts as a way to compete with Facebook’s reels, IG’s Stories and Tiktook. Youtube Shorts’ limit is currently at 60 seconds and the increase to 3 minutes will give creatives more ways to include more content and flexibility in their shorts.

Youtube added that “they are working on improve recommendations for longer Shorts in the coming months.”

Microsoft launches Windows App for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Web and Android   

Hilary Braun, Senior Product Manager for Windows 365;

We’re excited to announce that, starting today, Windows App is generally available for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and web browsers—and in public preview for Android. This unified app serves as your secure gateway to connect to Windows across Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft Dev Box, and more.

With Windows App, you can enjoy a unified experience that makes it simple for people to connect to the Windows experience they know and love from any device. Enhance productivity with features such as customizable home screens, multi-monitor support, and USB redirection. Windows App also offers advanced security features, including multifactor authentication, to ensure a seamless and robust connection and enable efficient work from any location, at any time.

This could be where “Windows OS” is going in the cloud, the device that you will be using is just a way to access your “Windows-Account” that holds all your apps, files and cloud services.

Apple Podcasts now accessible on the Web

You can now listen to an Apple Podcast on the web. Apple just launch Apple Podcast on the web, this allows podcast listners to stream full Apple podcast using any modern web browser, using any device, in more than 170 countries.

Apple Podcasts on the web offers a full streaming experience for listeners with its dedicated interface that includes personalization, recommendations, and notifications.

Listeners can sign in with their Apple Account to access their Library, Up Next queue, and subscriptions. The responsive design ensures a consistent experience across all devices. Sharing shows and episodes is easier than ever, and playback will appear as a download in your hosting provider’s dashboard.

Apple Podcasts is not the only web-based podcast players, since music streaming giants YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify have been offering web version of their service for a long time, as well as start-ups and indie podcasts players.

The introduction of Apple Podcasts on the web could be Apple’s way of growing its userbase and offering its service to other platforms like Android, Linux or any device with a browser.

Users can go to https://podcasts.apple.com, to start listening.

Opera Browser now on iOS

Opera has unveil the iOS version of their browser – the Opera One. The company said that the Opera One browser will have the same features as its desktop browser like the redesigned interface optimized for one-handed use with a bottom search bar that can be activated by swiping down.

Opera One includes a revamped search experience with QuickType suggestions, a new “Carousel” for news, scores, and product information, AI image generation capabilities, and various general improvements. The AI features will be powered by the company’s Aria AI, a free, unlimited built-in browser AI that features image generation, text to speech, image recognition and more. The new iOS browser will also feature free VPN, Ad blocker, and Flow file sharing.

You can download the new Opera One here and it will be compatible with iOS devices running iOS 14.0 or later, iPadOS 14.0 or later and visionOS 1.0.

Apple Maps on the Web in Public Beta

Apple Maps is now available on the web. Users can access Maps using their web browser to get directions, find places, order food, and explore cities. The service is currently in beta and available in English on Safari, Chrome, and Edge.

Apple also said that developers using MapKit JS, can link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more. Support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms will be expanded in the future.

OpenAI launched SearchGPT, an AI-powered Search Engine

OpenAI has announce the launch of SearchGPT, a prototype search engine designed to revolutionize the way we interact with information online. This new tool aims to combine the strengths of OpenAI’s advanced AI models with real-time internet data to provide users with fast, accurate, and contextually relevant answers.

SearchGPT is an AI-powered search engine desgined to leverages the capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to deliver timely and precise information. Unlike traditional search engines, SearchGPT is designed to respond to queries in a conversational manner, allowing users to ask follow-up questions and receive answers that build on previous interactions.

Unlike the traditional search form, SearchGPT uses a large textbox asking users “What are you looking for?,” this is similar to what Facebook “What’s on your mind?” and X’s “What’s happening?” asks its users. But instead of the usual plain text and links on the search result, SearchGPT will try to organize the summarizes the result then provide a short description with the attribution links.

You can watch the video below for the demo as published by OpenAI;

We’re testing SearchGPT, a prototype of new search features designed to combine the strength of our AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources. We’re launching to a small group of users and publishers to get feedback. While this prototype is temporary, we plan to integrate the best of these features directly into ChatGPT in the future.

OpenAI has partnered with various news publishers, which include organizations like the Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and Vox Media, to ensure that high-quality content is highlighted and easily accessible. SearchGPT is currently being tested by 10,000 test users.

Source: The Verge

Google Translate expands to 110 new languages, including 5 from the Philippines

Google just announced that they are adding 110 new languages to Google Translate, this includes 5 languages from the Philippines namely: Bikol, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan and Waray.

Google explains that the expansion was possible with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) paired with PaLM 2 large language model.

In addition to the 5 languages from the Philippines, Google translate also added support for the following;

  • Afar which is spoken in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
  • Cantonese, which Google says “one of the most requested languages for Google Translate.”
  • Manx is the Celtic language of the Isle of Man. sands of speakers.
  • NKo a standardized form of the West African Manding languages that unifies many dialects into a common language.
  • Punjabi (Shahmukhi) is the variety of Punjabi written in Perso-Arabic script (Shahmukhi), and is the most spoken language in Pakistan.
  • Tamazight (Amazigh) is a Berber language spoken across North Africa.
  • Tok Pisin is an English-based creole and the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea.

With the additional 110 new languages, Google Translate now supports 243 languages. You can find the full list of newly supported languages on Google Translate here.

Google releases Year in Search 2023

It’s that time of the year again, where a lot of company release stats regarding their service. I actually posted the one from Spotify, since I use the service. Today, Google release their annual YEAR IN SEARCH and if you’ve been paying attention, the list is not really surprising since its became the trending topic for a period of time.

For news;

Actors;

Movies

Recipes

and last but not the least… Songs

If you like to the complete list from Google, you can go to here – Year in Search 2023

Reports – Philippines has the highest shopping scam rate in 11 Asian countries

A study by the Global Alliance Against Software Piracy (GASA) and Gogolook found that 35.9% of Filipinos have been victims of a shopping scam. This is the highest rate of any of the 11 Asian countries surveyed. The report was issued by the Office of CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos and published on CICC website.

The 2023 Asia Scam Report released at the 1st Anti-Scam Asia Summit in Taipei was published by GASA and Gogolook and was based on data collected from nearly 20,000 respondents across 11 countries in Asia including the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Indonesia.

The study revealed that Filipinos are particularly susceptible to scams involving fake sellers and phishing websites. These deceptive tactics lure unsuspecting individuals into purchasing fraudulent products or revealing sensitive personal information.

To combat this growing threat, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is issuing a stern warning to the public, urging them to exercise extreme vigilance when engaging in online transactions. The CICC emphasizes the importance of adopting protective measures to safeguard against shopping scams.

CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos reiterated his appeal to the public to be careful when they do their online shopping, especially during the yuletide season.

“Based on our observation, shopping scams usually increase during the Christmas season,” he said. “Scammers take advantage of the high volume of online shopping and people’s vulnerability during this period,” Ramos explained. The mindset and immediate response of Filipinos, when confronted with scams, make them vulnerable to falling into traps, according to Ramos.

“Some people easily believe in false promises even if they are too good to be true,” he said.

Based on the Asia Scam Report; 24.8% of Filipino victims respond too quickly to scammers’ demands and 21.1% of victims chose to take a risk despite uncertainty about the risk. Other reasons for vulnerability include being enticed with incentives and over-trusting with friends and family members.

Here are some tips that you can take to avoid falling for shopping scams:

  1. Shop from Reputable Websites: Patronize only established and trusted online retailers to minimize the risk of encountering fraudulent sellers.

  2. Exercise Caution with Links: Approach links embedded in emails or social media posts with skepticism. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, as they may lead to phishing websites designed to steal personal information.

  3. Protect Personal Information: Refrain from sharing sensitive details, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or home addresses, with anyone you don’t trust implicitly.

  4. Beware of Unrealistic Deals: Exercise discretion when encountering deals that appear too good to be true. Such offers often mask fraudulent schemes.

  5. Report Suspected Scams: If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a shopping scam, promptly report the incident to the authorities.

Here are additional measures that you can take to protect yourself from scammers;

  1. Use secured payment method like credit cards or PayPal, which offer protection against fraudulent transactions.
  2. Make sure your devices and apps are up-to-date, including antivirus and anti-malware programs, to enhance your device’s security.
  3. Stay informed on current and emerging scam trends and tactics to remain vigilant against evolving threats.

DICT announce that ‘Free Wi-Fi for All’ is now available in 93 sites in Zamboanga City.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has announced that the ‘Free Wi-Fi for All’ is now available in 93 sites in Zamboanga City.

DICT’s Free Wi-Fi for All, is a Free Public Internet Access Program aims to provide the Filipino people access to opportunities, education, and information, and the ability to participate in the growing digital economy through free Internet in public places nationwide.

To date, DICTS has listed a a total of 2,594 Live Sites where Filipino can use free wifi. You can go here to check the live sites in your area.

X is testing “Not A Bot” service in New Zealand and the Philippines

X, the service formerly known as Twitter, is testing a new subscription service for new and unverified accounts to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts. The service will only not affect existing users.

The “Not A Bot” service was created to “successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount.” The company added that this service “is not a profit driver.”

In a support article, the company explained that “New users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take “read only” actions, such as: Read posts, Watch videos, and Follow accounts.”

It’s unclear how this test will affect potential new users but for me, as a rule of thumb, if an online service have been free for a long time charging to use the said service will be a big no for me.

Jobberbase Install Guide for Apache

Just archiving this here, since I always use Jobberbase as a reference CMS for job board.

You can download the PDF version of the steps here and the typical errors here.

Jobberbase Install Guide for Apache
Contents
1 Requirements
2 Install Procedure
2.1 Download
2.2 Database setup
2.2.1 Single database hosting
2.2.2 Multiple database hosting
2.3 Environment and code setup
2.3.1 Directory structure and permissions
2.3.2 Translations
2.3.3 Config and environments
2.4 Testing the site
2.5 Admin

Requirements
Before proceeding, make sure you have PHP 5+ and MySQL 4.1+ installed on your server. Also, Apache modulemod_rewrite has to be enabled and overriding default settings with .htaccess needs to be allowed.
If you are 100% sure that your server meets the requirements then you can skip the following lines and go directly to the first step, else please read on.

To mak sure you have at least PHP 5 and mod_rewrite active, create a file called phpinfo.php and paste the following code into it:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Upload it to your server and access it like this http://www.yoursitesnamecomeshere.com/phpinfo.php (Note: the path could differ in your case, specially if you’ve uploaded it into a subfolder)

The PHP version should appear in the page’s header. Make sure that it’s at least version 5.

Also, to see that you have mod_rewrite active, search in the page for the string mod_rewrite. If you don’t find it, contact your hosting and ask them to activate this module.

Install Procedure
If the requirements are met, follow these steps:

Download
Download the latest version from http://www.jobberbase.com/download (if you haven’t already done this) and unzip it.

Database setup
Before setting up the database, there are some things that you should be aware of: some hosting companies don’t allow you to have more than one database (usually in case of low-end (very cheap or free) hosting plans). If that’s your situation, follow the next step (Single database hosting), otherwise jump to step “Multiple database hosting”.

Single database hosting
If you know that this is your case, then please follow these steps:

You must decide for a string (you can use jb_, for example) which will be prepended to every jobberbase table name. You will have to set this string in the DB_PREFIX field that is described in step 3.

Open jobberbase.sql in a text editor of your choice and use its find & replace feature, as follows (Hint: in the find & replace dialog, there’s usually a button (Replace All, in case of Notepad) for replacing all the occurrences at once):

Replace all occurrences of CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ` (note the ` char ) with CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `THE_STRING_THAT_YOU_DECIDED_ON (for example, CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `jb_).

Replace all occurrences of INSERT INTO ` with INSERT INTO `THE_STRING_THAT_YOU_DECIDED_ON (for example, INSERT INTO `jb_).

Save your changes and then open phpmyadmin, select your database and then import your jobberbase.sql file.

Skip step “Multiple database hosting” and continue with “Environment Setup”.

Multiple database hosting
Create a new database and import db/jobberbase.sql into it (usually done from within phpmyadmin).

Note: PHPMyAdmin instructions: Create a new database (example: jobberbase) in the database window and no need to change any of the default settings. Click Go and the database is live. Now click import from the list of menu items in the top section and select the jobberbase.sql file from your local machine. After refesh you should see the list of example content tables on the left side panel. If any of these things did not work for you then you need read the manual that comes with PHPMyAdmin and try again).

Environment and code setup
In order to install jobberBase, you need FTP or SSH access, to upload all the files. jobberBase is software that you host on your server.

Directory structure and permissions
Upload the contents of the public folder to your server. Some users make the mistake that they upload the public folder, but instead you should only upload the files and folders contained in the public folder.

Make sure that the following folders have write permission:
/uploads (uploaded resumes are temporarily stored here)
/_templates//_cache (smarty cache) – by default, YourTheme is a folder called default
/admin/_templates/_cache (smarty cache)
Note: if you are testing it locally using wampserver or MAMP then do this: In windows machine go to folder options and un-check the ‘read only’ option to enable write access. In Mac OSX running MAMP local server first make sure you have administrator access then check to make sure you have full access for the files by clicking ‘get info’ in right click or command click pop up menu for each folder.

Translations
Translations are located under the theme folder, i.e. /_templates//_translations.

Translations for text elements in the site (except pages, job category names and others such as these) are located in an .ini file, in the translations folder, the default being translations_en.ini.

Email translations are stored in an xml file, under _translations/_emails, the default being emails_en.xml.

Config and environments
A single jobberBase instance/codebase can run under multiple hosting environments. The config system allows you to define environments (such as the one on your local/development machine, a staging environment and the live/production server).

These environments have to be manually defined in _config/config.envs.php, as PHP arrays. The default environment (suited for local hosting) looks like this:

$__instances['local'] = array(
// should be a unique part of the url (or the entire url if you wish)
'prefix' => 'localhost',
// mysql credentials
'db_host' => 'localhost',
'db_port' => 3306,
'db_user' => 'root',
'db_password' => '',
'db_name' => 'jobberbase',
'db_prefix' => '',
// your site's full url
'app_url' => 'http://localhost/jobberbase/trunk/public/',
// error reporting
'ini_error_reporting' => E_ALL,
'ini_display_errors' => 'On',
// environment setting 1 (use 'local' for localhost/testing OR 'online' for live, production environment)
'location' => 'local',
// environment setting 2 (use 'dev' together with 'local' in the previous setting OR 'prod' with 'online')
'environment' => 'dev',
//use 'apache_mod_rewrite' for Apache hosting or 'iis_url_rewrite', 'iis_isapi_rewrite' for IIS hosting
'rewrite_mode' => 'apache_mod_rewrite'
);

Each environment is defined as part of the $__instances array, with a unique key (e.g. local).

Note: Only change db_prefix if you’ve followed step 2.2.1 (single database hosting).

Note: some users are having trouble setting the db_host. To find out your database host, either ask your hosting company or login to phpmyadmin and you should have somewhere in the upper area the string Server and next to it an URL or IP. That’s what you should put as database host.

Testing the site
If you’ve went through all previous steps, you should be done.

Open up a browser and type in your site’s URL (e.g. http://www.yoursitesnamecomeshere.com/).

Admin
Assuming that your Jobberbase installation is located at http://www.yoursitesnamecomeshere.com/, you can access the administration panel by visiting http://www.yoursitesnamecomeshere.com/admin/.

This section is password protected, the username being admin and the default password admin.

After the first login, be sure to change your password!

In the administration panel you can:

change settings regarding site details, job pagination, mailing options, url options and lot more
view all the jobs, activate the new ones, delete jobs, edit jobs, post a new job
change the cities (add/edit/delete) that are included by default in Jobberbase
change the categories (add/edit/delete/reorder) that are included by default in Jobberbase
change the header/footer/sidebar links
view statistical information

Angat Buhay NGO officially launches website

It’s official, Angat Buhay NGO now has a website with the domain https://www.angatbuhay.ph. On the website, we can see an interactive maps of all the projects of the NGO, latest news and updates, the Angat Buhat Team members and volunteers. Supporters can also find ways on how be part of the NGO either as a Partner, donate or as a volunteer.

The website was developed by Pixel Zero Digital Solutions;

We are proud to have developed Angat Buhay’s website, a platform dedicated to uplifting Filipino communities through various programs and initiatives. Our team worked closely with Angat Buhay to create a user-friendly website that effectively showcases their mission, vision, and impact. Through our collaborative approach and attention to detail, we were able to bring their vision to life and help them reach a wider audience. We are committed to using our expertise in web development to support organizations like Angat Buhay that make a positive difference in our society.

PinoyExchange.Com to shutdown on April 15th

PinoyExchange, more commonly called PEx, just announced that the website will shutdown on 15th of April. PinoyExchange.Com is one of the first and oldest website in the Philippines, the domain was registered in 1999 and the website have been running for 24 years.

PinoyExchange.com is the virtual home of many Filipinos here and abroad, you can could say that it is the first website in the country that offer UGC (user-generated content). The announcement did not provide any reason or explanation as to why the website is closing.

Here’s a short history of PinoyExchange.com as posted on the website;

During the early days of internet in the Philippines in the late 1990s, an idea emerged to create an online message board because at that time, the only way to communicate online were via chat sites and chat rooms.

On July 12, 1999, PinoyExchange was born founded by Michael Nolledo, Nix Nolledo and Jude Turcuato (Kaboom!) and later on joined by Michael Palacios (Mikoid) as a lead designer and technical consultant. Some early PEx members also became moderators to help out in managing content and discussions.

The website gained popularity through its exposure via televised UAAP basketball games where Jude (Kaboom!) was a commentator. During halftime, viewers were asked to express their views regarding the ongoing basketball games by posting comments on PEx. Thousands of students and alumni from UAAP member schools visited the site and created discussions revolving around the UAAP games.

PEx reached the 2,000 member mark before the turn of the century. This was at a time when the Philippine internet penetration was less than 2%.

Today, PEx has over 1.5M monthly users and has evolved to become an online forum where users from all over the world can connect and converse on a wide variety of topics.

Amazon reveals design of the antennas for their Project Kuiper Satellite Internet

Amazon just reveals the design for the customer terminal of their Project Kuiper Satellite Internet, their answer to SpaceX’s Starlink Internet. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that allows any connected device to access the internet.

In their announcement, Amazon explains that to “use the service, customers will install an outdoor antenna—called a customer terminal—to communicate with satellites passing overhead.” and Amazon developed 3 models of customer terminal.

The standard customer terminal measures less than 11 inches square and 1 inch thick, and offers speeds up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps) and will weigh less than five pounds without its mounting bracket. The standard customer terminal will have a pricetag for less than $400 each.

Then there’s ultra-compact model, which is a 7-inch square design and weighs just 1 pound, it offers a speeds up to 100 Mbps. As for the cost, according to Amazon will be a “lower-cost model.”

There will also be a high-bandwidth design, this will be Project Kuiper’s largest, most capable model which aim for enterprise, government, and telecommunications applications that requires large bandwidth. The terminal measures 19 inches by 30 inches, and will deliver speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).

All terminals will be using Amazon-designed baseband chip called “Prometheus.” Prometheus combines the processing power of a 5G modem chip and the capability of a cellular base station to handle high traffic demands.

Amazon’s Project Kuiper is also preparing to deploy its first two prototype satellites on the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket. Project Kuiper is scaling operations in preparation for its launch early 2024 and its plans to give early adopter access to the service beginning later that year.

DICT welcomes Starlink to the Philippines

Two days after Starlink announced it availability in the Philippines, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) posted a message on their facebook page welcoming Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet.

DICT posted;

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) today announced that Starlink of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now in the Philippines, the first country in Southeast Asia to enjoy its services that promises to provide download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy said that Starlink’s entry to the Philippines will be a gamechanger, stressing that Starlink will augment and complement existing broadband capacities, enabling faster broadband speed and better connectivity, particularly in areas where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.
“In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind,” said Uy.
With its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation, Starlink can improve internet access in unserved and underserved areas in the country.
As of February 2023, Starlink is comprised of over 3,580 operational satellites. But the company aims to have as many as 40,000 satellites to be able to deliver high-speed, low-cost internet to remote regions across the globe.

Starlink is a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX that provides broadband internet using low Earth orbit satellites. Starlink offers a download speed up to 200mbps on a ₱2,700.00 per month subscription. The only disadvantage is that Starlink does not provide any subsidy for its hardware, since you need to pay ₱29,320, compare to local provider that offers free hardware as long as you have contract commitment.

Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet now available in the Philippines

It’s official, Elon Musk’s Starlink ISP is now available in the Philppines. The announcement was made by Starlink’s official twitter account.

The monthly fees for the service is only ₱2,700.00 but the hardware, the Starlink Kit will cost ₱29,320, a bit pricey for hardware will include a self-orienting Starlink phased array antenna, WiFi router, cables and base. It promises to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet and a download speeds up to 200 Mbs.

In an archipelago like the Philippines, a space-based internet provider is the most ideal, since you do not need to invest in any cell sites and cables. It’s still unknow how’s the performance of Starlink in the Philippines and since it’s summer in the country, those who ordered it will be able to get a good connection.

Carousell to layoff 10% of it’s global staff

Singapore-based Carousell just announced that it will layoff 10% of its staff or around 110 employees. The company made the announcement to all its staff via email and an official blogpost on their website. The company operates in 10 markets; Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Quek Siu Rui, Carousell’s Co-founder and CEO said in the post “I am deeply sorry for this outcome, and I take responsibility for the decisions that have led us here. Parting with teammates, whom we are grateful to for joining us on this mission, is a very difficult decision. We will be sure to treat everyone impacted with compassion and to lend as much support as we can to them.”

The company’s goal for the “impacted” employees is to help them in their job search by allowing them to keep their office laptop and continue their LinkedIn Learning membership until June 30, 2023; provide at least 3 months of compensation and, extend medical benefits and insurance coverage for employees and their dependents up to June 30, 2023, subject to approval by local insurers and medical service providers.

Carousell was founded in 2012, backed by Sequoia Capital India, Naver, 500 Global and Rakuten Capital, has raised a total of $372.6 million and acquired another of companies including OLX Philippines, after receiving an investment from Naspers.

TV Patrol is now available worldwide on Youtube, Facebook, http://news.abs-cbn.com and ABS-CBN News app

ABS-CBN has lifted the geo-block of TV Patrol and can now be access worldwide.

Here are the direct links for the news program;

Source: Extradot

YouTube, iWant and iflix to reduce video quality during Enchanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) – NTC

In a press release by National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), YouTube, iWant & Iflix will limit the video streaming quality in order to ease data congestion due to work-from-home setup by employers and the increase in demands during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Google already announced that they will set the default settings to SD Quality, while iFlix has initially set a cap in its streaming service. No content can be streamed at 4k resolution. iWant on the other hand said that it has reduced the streaming bitrate by 33% which started last March 27th.

You can read full text of NTC’s press release below;

Source: KabayanTech

Google launches COVID-19 website

Google has officially launch the controversial COVID-19 website.

The site (https://www.google.com/covid19/) is a United States-focused website that contains information about the virus, guidance, testing and other information that will help in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, highly contagious virus at as of this posting has affected 185 countries, 267,013 of confirmed case and more than 11,000 of confirmed deaths.

The site became a hot pic when President Donald Trump said a site where people could check symptoms, arrange a test, and get test results was coming from Google, but was actually referring to a much more limited site from Google sister company Verily.