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Category Archives: Events

Live Blogging from SM City Marikina

For the very first time, I had set foot on the City of Marikina! Why am I here? Supposedly, we’re to test the FREE WiFi access provided by SM City Marikina — the first SM Supermall to provide such freebie. The WiFi Stress Test started less than an hour ago, and I’m getting a fairly good signal:

Though SpeedTest.net is saying that I am currently located somewhere in UK(?).

We’re expecting some 300 bloggers and WiFi testers to show up at the SM City Marikina Cyberzone. Hope that all other SM Supermalls will provide Free WiFi access soon.

Me & my HP Mini 2133 in action during the SM City Marikina Free WiFi Access Stress Test

(photo courtesy of Melo Villareal)

Sky Cable Digibox Bloggers Event at the Hotel Intercon

Attended the briefing about Sky Cable’s Digibox this afternoon at the Hotel Intercontinental Makati. It was hosted by TJ Manotoc. The Sky Cable people, led by their VP made a demo of the Digibox — really kewl features like channel preview, a full week lineup with preview, lots of channels, and channel lock.

People from Sky Broadband was there, too. And as TJ describes it: insanely fast! How fast was it, 12Mbps for a residential broadband.

All bloggers went home with gift certificates from Sky Cable — free installation and rental of Digibox, plus a quarter subscription to Sky Cable Gold at zero cost. Kewl, isn’t it?

(Some pics grabbed from Az — thanks Az!)

Earthquake 27 SEP 2008

I was in the middle of my PHP lecture to my WEBDEV3 class this morning at around 1100H when I felt the teacher’s table tapping into my knees, back and forth. Then one of my students exclaimed, “Sir, earthquake!”. Calmly, I replied, “OK! Stay at your seats.” We were at the 11th floor of the SDA building then.I forgot that my PC was connected to the LCD projector when posted the event in TwitterFox, so my students saw me micro-blogging while the building is swaying.

The shaking was done in a minute, I guess. One student asked if we were to go done of the building, my response was (verbatim), “We’re at the 11th floor. There are only 2 floors above us. If ever the building will collapse, we have a fair chance of survival. If we will go down, and the building will collapse, the entire 14 floors will be on top of us.” And everyone laughed. Then came the second tremor, this time a little bit stronger than the previous one. By this time, Twitter posts from the likes of Jim Ayson and Charo Nuguid are popping-out of my TwitterFox confirming the first shaking. Then it’s done in almost a minute or so.

So I continued with my lecture, we’re still at the ECHO statement. Then came the DO (security guard), asking all of us to evacuate the building — an SOP. We used the stairs from the 11th floor all the way down to the ground floor ;) nice exercise. I can still feel my legs aching up to now.

Oktoberfest 120 for Bloggers

Last night, Rose and I were present at the San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest 120 for Bloggers at the Taste Asia, SM Mall of Asia. Thanks to Aileen Apolo for the invite! Music was provided by Moonstar88. Too bad, we had to leave early, around 2200H as it was already bed time for Robyn Andi Xeon. But, we (I) did not went home empty handed: I won an ice bucket! Too bad, I wasn’t able to receive the goodie bag, as we need to wait for the show to end before the freebies will be distributed ;) that’s OK. I know there will be a next time.

Azrael, Me, and Jay

Azrael was there, and I personally handed-over to him his Internet Blackout book prize. Met also in the flesh was my long time acquitance Jay De Jesus (titikpilipino.com). BTW, the pic above was grabbed from Az, thanks Az! Hehehe ..

Da Who! Da who ang blogger na nagsilid ng isang dosenang Magnolia Flavored Tea sa kanyang bag? Clue: isa syang girl. Hehehe .. wala lang. Rose and I were laughing to our hearts’ out seeing her putting the iced tea bottles to her bag. Kakahiya. Yun lang!

There Are People Who Read My Blog

I mean, really, there are people who read my blog.

Last Thursday, I attended the Yahoo! Philippines Developers Network launch at TGIFriday’s in Glorietta, Makati. I left home at around 1730H, and what used to be a 15-minute drive took me almost an hour due to the huge traffic a sudden downpour brought about.

When I finally managed to reach Friday’s, almost all of the seats til the end of the hall were occupied already by eating and drinking people (most of them happened to be ‘walk-ins’ in an RSVP event — gate crashers!). No choice but to seat near the projector screen together with a couple — I did not bothered to get acquainted with them. Then suddenly, a guy came in and asked if there is somebody seated next to me — I replied that the seat is vacant, then he said, “You look familiar.” I replied, “Perhaps, you had read my blog, bobreyes.com, my face is there.” He said, ‘Yah! bobreyes.com, TurfSite Manila!”. This guy happened to be Jojo a.k.a. PHPCurious. He was NOT the last person that night who said, “You look familiar ..” to me.

Before the official launch began, seated on the same table with were Jerome Gotangco of Morph, Jacque Sara of Exist Global, Dr. Jaime Caro of UP-ITTC, and fellow CSB Prof Ranulf Goss (used to teach GAMEDEV a couple of years ago, he is now the President of Slycesoft). I also met (in flesh) Angela Sabas, a technical Yahoo! (in other words, someone who does technical stuff at Yahoo! and yes, she is indeed a Filipina!).

Ended the night, which I thought would be a boring one, filled with inputs coming from these bright people. Thanks to Yahoo! for the food and drinks. Til next time, Jerry Yang.