ajb{log}

Official Google Blog: Using data to protect people from malware

2011-07-19T18:20:00.000-06:00

Official Google Blog: Using data to protect people from malware

[Korea's Got Talent] The Amazing Sung-bong Choi, his magical voice and his determination to conquer life's challenges

2011-06-10T08:45:00.000-06:00

He'll make you cry.

Teen mom in a vicious girl fight! Warning: Viewer discretion is advised

2011-03-31T14:41:00.002-06:00

WOW.

Demo Of Photoshop for iPad | MacTrast

2011-03-31T10:15:00.000-06:00

Demo Of Photoshop for iPad | MacTrast: "Eric from Photograph Bay shot the above video of Adobe's new Photoshop app for iPad.

The app was demonstrated at Photoshop World where the layers function within the app was showed off. There is a great 'wow' moment when a 3D style layers animation occurs near the end of the video. Pretty cool stuff."

Facebook Now Allows Personal Profiles To Be Converted Into Business Pages

2011-03-31T10:13:00.000-06:00

Facebook Now Allows Personal Profiles To Be Converted Into Business Pages: "For the first time, Facebook now allows personal user profiles to be converted into official business Pages, turning all their friends into fans. The “Profile To Business Page Migration” tool will help people who either created a personal profile for a business before Pages existed, or accidentally started accumulating fans as friends instead of Likes.

The migration tool should come as exciting news to business owners struggling with the decision of whether to continue a profile with its limited capabilities, or start a Page from scratch with zero fans. Facebook has not formally announced the tool, but it appears to be available worldwide.

Facebook has added a new Help Center article on converting profiles to Pages with details about the migration process. Any user with a verified account can use the migration tool. Their profile photo will be transferred, and all their friends will be converted into users who Like their Page."

Deactivate Location Aware Browsing in Fireox 4, IE9, Google Chrome 10 and Opera 11 - Jkwebtalks

2011-03-31T10:11:00.000-06:00

Deactivate Location Aware Browsing in Fireox 4, IE9, Google Chrome 10 and Opera 11 - Jkwebtalks: "All modern browsers support Location-Aware Browsing and can tell websites where you’re located. Even though this feature is useful to find info that’s more relevant and useful to you, people who concerned more about their privacy may not like this. Here is how to disable this feature in FF4, IE9, GC10, and Opera 11."

Online Marketing Analytics Software - Unilyzer – Social Media Dashboard

2011-03-29T13:42:00.002-06:00

Online Marketing Analytics Software - Unilyzer – Social Media Dashboard: "Unilyzer’s online marketing analytics software gives social marketers the power to understand the impact of social network campaigns and to make fact-based decisions faster and smarter. Unilyzer’s suite of performance dashboards, management reports and charting tools gives marketers insight that can be applied in all areas of social networking including website traffic, brand awareness, visitor loyalty, brand monitoring, and conversion optimization."

Bins by OneUp Industries

2011-03-29T13:16:00.000-06:00

Bins by OneUp Industries: "Create a Bin by dragging one taskbar icon on top of another, and dropping into the popup that appears. Ungroup shortcuts by dragging the icon back to the taskbar. No need to open a settings screen; Bins is simple and intuitive."

Conversion Room: The New Google Analytics: Dashboards

2011-03-24T08:38:00.000-06:00

Conversion Room: The New Google Analytics: Dashboards: "Today, we would like to introduce you to the new dashboards that is available in the new version of Google Analytics announced last week."

Google Analytics Blog: Looking towards the future of Google Analytics

2011-03-24T08:37:00.000-06:00

Google Analytics Blog: Looking towards the future of Google Analytics

Google Spreadsheet Trick. Automatic reference lookup

2008-11-11T09:44:00.002-06:00

Open Google Spreadsheet. Put "Abraham Lincoln" in A3. put "Date of Birth" in B2. Then in B3 put =googlelookup(A3,B2).

Try "Barack Obama" too.

Isn't that AWESOME?

A very funny GIF... You'll surely miss a free throw shot!!!

2008-11-07T22:17:00.003-06:00

986F 64B9 3005 E03E. FC42 A41E BD57 3179

2008-10-29T09:46:00.000-06:00

Anyone knows what "986F 64B9 3005 E03E. FC42 A41E BD57 3179" is for? Or what is it?

Poor guy just wanted to cross... Keep watching...

2008-10-06T10:01:00.001-06:00

Feel the wrath (Animated GIF)

2008-10-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

If Vim was developed by Microsoft

2008-09-29T08:04:00.002-06:00

If Vim was developed by Microsoft...

Top 10 Most Creative Homeless Signs

2008-07-28T09:20:00.006-06:00

Top 10 Most Creative Homeless Signs

1) Homeless Geek

2. Unlucky Beggar

3) Homeless Merlin

4) Homeless Target

5) Homeless Time Traveller

6) Desperate Homeless

7) Homeless Jedi

8) Homeless Wishful Thinking

9) The Ninja Victim

10) Ransom Fail

2008-07-16T16:58:00.001-06:00

http://ping.fm/tb3Sw .me Landrush Starts 8am PST Tomorrow

2008-07-15T09:12:00.001-06:00

I'm almost gonna cry now. Fixing IE6 layout!

2008-07-01T00:49:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Canada! http://ping.fm/JnNZW

2008-06-24T11:37:00.001-06:00

My facebook love/hate relationship: Love it because it uses LAMP, fast, scales & reliable. Hate it because of its uber-annoying content. :(

2008-06-19T07:26:00.001-06:00

We're looking for someone who knows how to develop a Friendster Application. http://ping.fm/LbJGz

Friendfeed

2007-10-05T09:26:00.000-06:00

Moving to Wordpress...

2007-04-22T20:38:00.000-06:00

I'm moving to wordpress for more flexibility. Goodbye Blogger!

http://www.allanjosephbatac.com/blog/
http://www.batac.org/blog/

Happy Birthday Mother Earth!

2007-04-22T14:20:00.000-06:00

Better and Super Clean GMail Interface

2007-04-21T20:32:00.000-06:00

Look how my GMail interface looks like with GreaseMonkey, Better/Super Clean Gmail (Download Link) installed on my Firefox 2.0.

I found this on LifeHacker!

Sleek and very cool gmail tweak!

I recommend it for power email users like me! :)

Joost: Maybe the future of TV

2007-04-21T18:39:00.000-06:00

Joost sent me a beta invitation last week and I had the chance to use Joost today. I can definitely say that Joost is a very promising piece of software.

It out-performs youtube.com in so many ways. You can now watch regular TV on your computer by just installing a piece of software. They have lots of channels to choose from. I like the Fight Network (as seen on the images above).

The controls and the user interface isn't bad but can be improved (responsiveness of the TV controls sometimes lags) -- and this depends on your Internet connection too.

Overall, with user feedbacks and improvements, Joost may be the future of TV. This is nice if you want to work and at the same time glance from time to time to Joost.

Definitely cheaper than to buy a tv converter.

Kudos to Joost (Niklas Zennstrøm and Janus Friis)!

More programs please!

Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 is here. Download now!

2007-04-21T15:24:00.000-06:00

Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 email application is more powerful than ever. It’s now even easier to organize, secure and customize your mail.

How can Webmasters proactively address duplicate content issues?

2007-04-21T15:07:00.001-06:00

How can Webmasters proactively address duplicate content issues?
Block appropriately: Rather than letting our algorithms determine the "best" version of a document, you may wish to help guide us to your preferred version. For instance, if you don't want us to index the printer versions of your site's articles, disallow those directories or make use of regular expressions in your robots.txt file.
Use 301s: If you have restructured your site, use 301 redirects ("RedirectPermanent") in your .htaccess file to smartly redirect users, the Googlebot, and other spiders.
Be consistent: Endeavor to keep your internal linking consistent; don't link to /page/ and /page and /page/index.htm.
Use TLDs: To help us serve the most appropriate version of a document, use top level domains whenever possible to handle country-specific content. We're more likely to know that .de indicates Germany-focused content, for instance, than /de or de.example.com.
Syndicate carefully: If you syndicate your content on other sites, make sure they include a link back to the original article on each syndicated article. Even with that, note that we'll always show the (unblocked) version we think is most appropriate for users in each given search, which may or may not be the version you'd prefer.
Use the preferred domain feature of webmaster tools: If other sites link to yours using both the www and non-www version of your URLs, you can let us know which way you prefer your site to be indexed.

Minimize boilerplate repetition: For instance, instead of including lengthy copyright text on the bottom of every page, include a very brief summary and then link to a page with more details.
Avoid publishing stubs: Users don't like seeing "empty" pages, so avoid placeholders where possible. This means not publishing (or at least blocking) pages with zero reviews, no real estate listings, etc., so users (and bots) aren't subjected to a zillion instances of "Below you'll find a superb list of all the great rental opportunities in [insert cityname]..." with no actual listings.
Understand your CMS: Make sure you're familiar with how content is displayed on your Web site, particularly if it includes a blog, a forum, or related system that often shows the same content in multiple formats.
Don't worry be happy: Don't fret too much about sites that scrape (misappropriate and republish) your content. Though annoying, it's highly unlikely that such sites can negatively impact your site's presence in Google. If you do spot a case that's particularly frustrating, you are welcome to file a DMCA request to claim ownership of the content and have us deal with the rogue site.

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: All About Googlebot

2007-04-21T15:05:00.000-06:00

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: All About Googlebot

Google Moms (Tribute to Mothers Worldwide)

2007-04-21T14:56:00.000-06:00

Found this on the net (http://www.google.com/moms/)

eskwela.com's just got online is just soo cool!

2007-04-20T21:17:00.000-06:00

This is a great feature of eskwela.com! "Just Got Online"! Uber cool!

Google Digital Photo Album and more...

2007-04-19T22:24:00.000-06:00

Braiden gave me this awhile ago and it's so cool! :) Thanks Braiden!!! I love it! :)

Adobe Apollo and Flex

2007-04-18T11:47:00.000-06:00

Adobe just introduced Apollo. It's a cross-operating system runtime to develop desktop (web) applications. Read it more here...

According to their site...

Apollo enables developers to create applications that combine the benefits of web applications – network and user connectivity, rich media content, ease of development, and broad reach – with the strengths of desktop applications – application interactions, local resource access, personal settings, powerful functionality, and rich interactive experiences.

Need a Windows XP product key? Google can help.

2007-04-18T11:42:00.000-06:00

Click this link...

Google is sooo helpful, right? :P

if i was working for this grocery, i will not go to work for a day... :D

2007-04-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

this is the hardest level of mario brothers! (video)

2007-04-17T22:31:00.000-06:00

it's the hardest and i totally agree!

i lost count how many f*ck were there in this movie!

Work is a four-letter word...

2007-04-15T20:23:00.000-06:00

Work, is a four letter word. W-O-R-K. Love it.

Remember, your 8am-5pm job keeps your 5pm-8am life going. :)

happy 60th birthday dave!

2007-04-12T22:15:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to the late night talk show host which i really like! :)

error document handling by Internet Explorer

2007-04-11T14:03:00.000-06:00

I was editing some /error_docs/ on our webserver and found this comment. Oh Microsoft! :(

- Unfortunately, Microsoft has added a clever new
- "feature" to Internet Explorer. If the text of
- an error's message is "too small", specifically
- less than 512 bytes, Internet Explorer returns
- its own error message. You can turn that off,
- but it's pretty tricky to find switch called
- "smart error messages". That means, of course,
- that short error messages are censored by default.
- IIS always returns error messages that are long
- enough to make Internet Explorer happy. The
- workaround is pretty simple: pad the error
- message with a big comment like this to push it
- over the five hundred and twelve bytes minimum.
- Of course, that's exactly what you're reading
- right now.

Mapping the Malicious Web

2007-04-11T12:44:00.000-06:00

Found on the net:
Visit the McAfee's Mapping the Mal Web

Interactive Map is here

Scary...

!xobile

2007-04-07T17:58:00.000-06:00

Hey Anthony! Tap som bong!

If you haven't seen this, then you should! This is sooo funny chinaman... :)

*See this one too*

"Oh god that is smashing...what a delighful feeling...Ooo aaaah, OH MY GOD IM ARRIVING!"

Mexicans latinos spanish south america...

TaskSwitchXP

2007-04-07T00:46:00.000-06:00

This is just too good not to share... Replaces your "old fashioned" alt-tab to a visual one for Windows XP. Developed by Alexander Avdonin

Description from the site: TaskSwitchXP is an advanced task management utility that picks up where the standard Windows Alt+Tab switcher leaves off. It provides the same functionality, and adds visual styles to the dialog and also enhances it by displaying thumbnail preview of the application that will be switched to.

Site URL: http://www.ntwind.com/software/taskswitchxp.html?
Download: http://www.ntwind.com/software/taskswitchxp/download.html

Very cool!

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

2007-04-06T13:20:00.000-06:00

Observing good friday...

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
where there is injury, pardon
where there is doubt, faith
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
and where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console
to be understood as to understand
to be loved as to love
for it is in giving that we receive
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Call to action: The demise of CSS hacks and broken pages

2007-04-04T20:10:00.000-06:00

Just found this IE7 Blog... The Microsoft IE7 Development Team is calling all web people to avoid CSS Hacks since a lot of pages are breaking in IE7.

For people who doesn't know this yet. :)

Scorpio (Adobe Cold Fusion 8)

2007-04-04T14:37:00.000-06:00

Found on the net... Scorpio is the codename for the coming release of Adobe Cold Fusion 8.

More information can be found at Adobe Labs.

How we will browse the web and use computers in 2015

2007-04-04T14:18:00.000-06:00

Minority report? Nah, it's already here! Check this video out and see how we will browse the web adn use computers in the year 2015.

It's so cool! I want to use it now! :)

33 years...

2007-04-02T10:11:00.000-06:00

Up and down... once on top and often at the bottom... What a life eh? Sounds like a lot of fun?

Well, if you'll ask me. I guess it is! :)

www.allanjosephbatac.com

23 things you should be monitoring (compiled)

2007-03-22T10:13:00.000-06:00

Tracking your buzz is really something that is becoming more and more important over and will continue to increase in importance as time goes on. Everything is going social right now and messages fly around the web at a million miles by hour. In order to manage your reputation you need to track the right things, so here's a list of 10 things that you absolutely need to be monitoring.

1. Company name - Obviously your company name is one of the most important things that you need to monitor. Anytime your company or products are mentioned, you should know. Ex. Google

2. Company URL - It is also important to track your company URL for those times when someone links to your company but doesn't mention it by name. This happens a lot and is just another way to make sure you are covering all your bases. Ex. http://google.com

3. Public facing figures - Track the names of any key employees in your company that are public facing figures. What is said about these people also reflects on your company and usually when this people are talked about your company is tied in with that. Ex. Eric Schmidt, Sergey Brin, Larry Page.

4. Product names - Track any of your company's product or service names as well. What are people saying about your products and services? Ex. Gmail, Picasa, Dodgeball

5. Product URLs - For the same reasons that you need to specifically track your company's URL you should also be tracking your product URLs as well. Ex. http://gmail.com, http://picasa.com, http://dodgeball.com

6. The industry "hang outs" - This includes blogs, message boards, important players, consumer review sites, and anything else that's related to your industry. Many times the industry feedback, that you can discover from the conversations at these "hang outs" can really help you improve your product or service. It is also a way for you to interactive with your potential and existing customers. Ex. http://searchenginewatch.com, http://seroundtable.com, http://threadwatch.org

7. Employee activity/blogs - Things your employees do online can affect your brand image. If you have employees that blog, it is smart to at least know about their MySpace accounts, Flickr accounts and personal blogs. I am not saying that you should spy on your employees but you do need to monitor these things just in case. It is not considered spying if they already make this stuff public. It might be safe to let your employees know you watch these things. The more well known your employees are the more important this is, many times these employee bloggers turn into company ambassadors. I've heard stories before where employers know an employee is quitting before he or she tells them because they blogged about it or put it on MySpace. Ex. http://mattcutts.com/blog, http://bladam.com, http://crazybob.org

8. Conversations - Are you tracking the comments from blog posts that are related to your company name, url, products, or any other buzz? These are great opportunities that allow you to participate in conversations about your company. Tools for tracking comments include Commentful, coComment, and co.mments. Ex. http://blog.outer-court.com/forum/62569.html, http://www.digg.com/software/Google_Talk_Adds_Voice_Mail_File_Sharing, http://www.flickr.com/photos/smash/36648272/

9. Brand image - What is the overall image of your brand. Do people think you're evil? Or do they love what you're doing. Ex. http://www.opinmind.com/search.jsp?q=google

10. Competitors - Track everything from 1-9 related to your competitors including; company name, URLs, products, key employees, etc. Everything. You need to be ready to move when any opportunity comes up. Ex. http://www.ysearchblog.com, http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/, http://www.opinmind.com/search.jsp?q=yahoo

Here is a list of a few of the websites / tools that can be used to track your buzz: Technorati, Sphere, Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, Google Blog Search, Rollyo, TechMeme, OpinMind, Alexa, and Commentful. Any time your company is referenced in any way it is best that you know about it. Track everything.

11. Also monitor images/video, (Edit: Podcasts too! suggests Brian) such as flickr instances of your company, products, and employees. You may be surprised how your brand or products could be treated (think about the kids who raised money for an iPod to then smash it for online video, exploding laptops, and bike locks that get picked by a pen cap).

12. Monitor tags and Social search tools such as Delicious.

13. Monitor Social Voting tools like Digg.com (strong search) and Techmeme.com (which doesn’t have a strong search yet).

14: This is nearly a part-time job for a small company, and nearly a full-time job for a company with large brand equity, or heavy activity. There are several firms that can offer listening services, but use that for reporting only. Train your product teams to learn how to listen, also consider offering forums for customers so you can bring conversations closer.

15: Also consider creating a feedback mechanism that allows customers to post URLs of conversations that they want you to see –why spend all the time searching, when you could also encourage customers, employees to submit links

16: Lastly, create a “Voice of the Customer” log in your intranet, perhaps using a blog, database, or other tool that can track sentiment, instance, and or voice.

17: Consider devoting an individual or team to this. I suspect in the next few years, roles will appear called “Brand Monitor” or “Blogosphere Watcher”, It’s not just about ‘reporting’ but more like “real-time monitoring” of the voice of your customer. You can harness this to build better products, services, and be a better company.

18. Self-clipping services like Google or Yahoo alerts for keyword mentions, but also audio and video hits as well...services like PodZinger for example to ascertain conversational audio levels

19. Utilize RSS and aggregators like Bloglines in order to aggregate, integrate and assimilate all relevant incoming and outgoing moments of truth (perceived truth perhaps, or even truthiness according to Rob Stevens)

20. Use wikis like PmWiki to discuss and debate pretty much everything from 1-19 and most importantly attempt to turn all the talk/conversation into walk/action.

21. (ending on 20 would have been so contrived) Repeat steps 1-20 to look outside of your own circle. Evolve the perspective from yourself, through your direct competitive set to your indirect competitive set and ultimately to your aspirational/non-endemic/non-competitive set. This is where you want to follow the leaders so to speak - Apples, Nikes, Googles or whichever company you admire.

22. Create a PROACTIVE capability/budget in order to QUICKLY execute against everything you're monitoring - specifically opportunities like Fedex Furniture, Tiger Chipping in on the 16th.

23. Conversely, have a REACTIVE process in place to comprehensively and compellingly respond, especially when you're on the bumpy receiving end of the stick.

Compiled from:

http://www.jaffejuice.com/ (18-23)

http://www.web-strategist.com/ (11-17)

http://www.pronetadvertising.com/ (1-10)

I like iLike :)

2007-03-07T08:36:00.000-06:00

I was recently invited to join iLike. The user interface of the site is way too cool for me to handle. I like it very much.

Kudos to the iLike team! :)

Voltes V Opening Theme Song Lyrics

2007-02-11T01:44:00.000-06:00

Voltes V Opening Theme Song Lyrics

BORUTESU FAIBU no Uta
(Voltes V Song)

Tatoe arashi ga hukou tomo
Tatoe oonami areru tomo
Kogidasou tatakai no umi he
Tobikomou tatakai no uzu he

Mitsumeau hitomi to hitomi
Nukumori wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
subete wo kakete
Yaruzo chikara no tsukiru made
Chikyuu no yoake wa
mou chikai

Tatoe ikazuchi hurou tomo
Tatoe daichi ga yureru tomo
Tobidasou tatakai no sora he
Mamorou yo tatakai no niwa wo

Nigiri au tagai no te to te
Magokoro wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
inochi wo kakete
Yuku zo shouri wo tsukamu made
Uchuu no yoake wa
mou chikai

Tatoe kemono ga hoeru tomo
Tatoe yukute wo husagu tomo
Utaou yo tatakai no uta wo
Katarou yo tatakai no michi wo

Ashinami wo soroete yukou
Otagai wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
Azuketa inochi
Tobu ze uchuu no hate made mo
Minna no egao mo
mou chikai

If you want the English translation, here it is below:

Though the storm should blow
Though the wave should rage
Let’s row out to the sea of battle
Let’s jump into the maelstrom of battle

Gaze into each other’s eyes
Believe in each other’s warmth
The party of five

On Voltes Five,
we stake everything
Let’s do it till the last of strength
The earth’s dawnis already near

Though thunder should strike
Though the earth should shake
Let’s rush out into the sky of battle
Let’s defend the garden of battle

Take hold of each other’s hands
Believe in each other’s sincerity
The party of five

On Voltes Five,
we stake our lives
Let’s go till we seize victory
The universe’ dawn is already near

Though the beasts should roar
And block up our way
Let’s sing the song of battle
Let’s tell about the path of battle
Keep along the same pace
Believe in each other
The party of five

On Voltes Five,
we trust our lives
Let’s fly till the end of the universe
Everyone’s smileis already near

Voltes V Ending theme song

2007-02-11T01:30:00.000-06:00

Voltes V ending theme song

Chichi wo motomete
(Looking for Father)

Oya ni hagureta
hinadori mo
Itsuka wa yasashii
hutokoro ni
Kaeru ashita mo aru darou
Danoni naze meguri aenu
chichi no kage
Naku mono ka
Boku wa otoko da
Shinjiteru shinjiteru
Sono hi no koto wo
Kono te de chichi wo
Daki shimeru hi no koto wo

No ni saku hana mo
tsuyukusa mo
Itsuka wa hito to
meguri ai
Kataru yuube mo aru darou
Danoni naze otozurenai
shiawase ga

Naku mono ka
Boku wa otoko da
Taetematsu taetematsu
Sono hi wa kuru to
Te wo tori chichi to
Warai au hi ga kuru to

Mikazuki wo ou
murakumo mo
Itsuka wa kaze ga
huki harai
Kagayaku yoru mo aru darou
Danoni naze kiramekanai
chichi no hoshi

Naku mono ka
Boku wa otoko da
Tatakau zo tatakau zo
Sono hi no tame ni
Kono te ni chichi wo
Tori modosu hi no tame ni

If you want the english translation, here it is below:

Even a chick that got lost from its parents has a tomorrow to return someday to the tender breast again. But why couldn't I find my father's figure?

I won't cry I'm a man I believe, I believe in the day I will hold my father in my arms.

Even flowers and spiderworts that grow in the field will someday find someone to have an evening together. But why doesn't happiness come to see me?

I won't cry I'm a man I'll endure, I'll endure and wait for the day I will hold my father's hands and laugh together with him.

The gathering clouds that cover the crescent moon will someday by the windbe blown away
and a shining night will come. But why doesn't my father's star sparkle?

I won't cry I'm a man I will fight, I will fight for the day I get my father back with my own hands.

Windows Live Mail Beta

2006-12-14T14:13:00.000-06:00

I've tried the Windows Live Mail Beta and it seems to be cool. The interface of the new software is awesome and it hasn't crashed on me yet. The Gmail mail downloader is seamless! You only needed to enter your gmail.com addy and your gmail password. Live Mail takes care of the rest. It also says that you can add Yahoo! Mail Premium and your other POP3 emails. Great!

Still trying it out and see if the search and other features interest me more. ;)

Screenshot below with Gmail

2 years, too late...

2006-12-14T13:57:00.000-06:00

2 years, too late. GMail already took the limelight out of Hotmail 2 years ago. Why now?

From: http://mailcall.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!CC9301187A51FE33!6688.entry

November 06
It is Here: Hotmail to go 1GB (1,000 MB) of Storage
I have been working for Hotmail for 8 years and currently am a program manager in the Windows Live Mail Platform group. During my time here, I have seen Hotmail transform into a major global communication service. I take a particular pride in the fact that during that time we have probably delivered over a trillion emails connecting people.

For years while talking to my friends, family and acquaintances about Hotmail, I’ve been frequently asked: - “when will you guys give more storage” or “I forgot to login and my account got “killed” – can you help?” Yeah … those were the days of 2MB storage limits that in now days is the size of one wedding photo.

I’m happy to say now is quite an exciting time for Hotmail. The great news is that we have upgraded all Hotmail accounts regardless of the market and account age to 1GB of space. That means a new account created after the change will get 1GB instantly - no more small accounts at the initial sign on and probation for 30 days account feature.

This update is part of our initiative in transitioning our web e-mail service into a next-generation communication service - Windows Live Mail, which is in beta now. As we build out your e-mail service to get ready for this change, we are making big improvements to areas like storage.

We’re also making another change for our loyal Hotmail users who have been with us for 2 years or more. Right now, you need to log in once every 30 days to maintain your account -- we’re now extending that log-in grace period to 60 days. So, if you’re planning a really long vacation (somewhere w/ no internet connection), you don’t have to worry about your Hotmail account being closed when you return. We’ll continue to make additional improvements and updates to ensure a smooth transition to the next-generation web e-mail for our current 260+ million Hotmail active accounts.

Something you can look forward to as we move forward is that Windows Live Mail has a bunch of cool features and a great new design. But the improvements I am most excited about are that once you migrate to the new service, we will double your allowances to 2GB and 120 days for free accounts and 4GB and no account expiration for premium accounts.

To find out more about all the benefits of Windows Live Mail and product updates, check out Ben’s post and to sign up for the beta and start using now, go to ideas.live.com.

Vlad

The Best Kind of Love

2006-11-28T14:26:00.000-06:00

The Best Kind of Love
by Annette Paxman Bowen

I have a friend who is falling in love. She honestly claims the sky is bluer. Mozart moves her to tears. She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl. "I am young again!" she shouts exuberantly.

As my friend raves on about her new love, I've taken a good look at my old one. My husband of almost 20 years, Scott, has gained 15 pounds. Once a marathon runner, he now runs only down hospital halls. His hairline is receding and his body shows signs of long working hours and too many candy bars. Yet he can still give me a certain look across a restaurant table and I want to ask for the check and head home.

When my friend asked me "What will make this love last?" I ran through all the obvious reasons: commitment, shared interests, unselfishness, physical attraction, and communication.

Yet there's more. We still have fun. Spontaneous good times. Yesterday, after slipping the rubber band off the rolled newspaper, Scott flipped it playfully at me: this led to an all-out war. Last Saturday at the grocery, we split the list and raced each other to see who could make it to the checkout first. Even washing dishes can be a blast. We enjoy simply being together.

And there are surprises.

One time I came home to find a note on the front door that led me to another note, then another, until I reached the walk-in closet. I opened the door to find Scott holding a "pot of gold" (my cooking kettle) and the "treasure" of a gift package. Sometimes I leave him notes on the mirror and little presents under his pillow.

There is understanding.

I understand why he must play basketball with the guys. And he understands why, once a year, I must get away from the house, the kids - and even him - to meet my sisters for a few days of nonstop talking and laughing.

There is sharing.

Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens - we also share ideas. Scott came home from a convention last month and presented me with a thick historical novel. Though he prefers thrillers and science fiction, he had read the novel on the plane. He touched my heart when he explained it was because he wanted to be able to exchange ideas about the book after I'd read it.

There is forgiveness.

When I'm embarrassingly loud and crazy at parties, Scott forgives me. When he confessed losing some of our savings in the stock market, I gave him a hug and said, "It's okay. It's only money."

There is sensitivity.

Last week he walked through the door with that look that tells me it's been a tough day. After he spent some time with the kids, I asked him what happened. He told me about a 60-year old woman that had a stroke. He wept as he recalled the woman's husband standing beside her bed, caressing her hand. How was he going to tell this husband of 40 years that his wife would probably never recover? I shed a few tears myself. Because of the medical crisis. Because there were still people who have been married 40 years. Because my husband is still moved and concerned after years of hospital rooms and dying patients.

There is faith.

Last Tuesday a friend came over and confessed her fear that her husband is losing his courageous battle with cancer. On Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend who is struggling to reshape her life after divorce. On Thursday a neighbor called to talk about the frightening effects of Alzheimer's disease on her father-in-law's personality. On Friday a childhood friend called long-distance to tell me her father had died. I hung up the phone and thought, This is too much heartache for one week.

Through my tears, as I went out to run some errands, I noticed the boisterous orange blossoms of the gladiolus outside my window. I heard the delighted laughter of my son and his friend as they played. I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor's house. The bride, dressed in satin and lace, tossed her bouquet to her cheering friends. That night, I told my husband about these events. We helped each other acknowledge the cycles of life and that the joys counter the sorrows. It was enough to keep us going.

Finally, there is knowing.

I know Scott will throw his laundry just shy of the hamper every night; he'll be late to most appointments and eat the last chocolate in the box. He knows that I sleep with a pillow over my head.

I guess our love lasts because it is comfortable. No, the sky is not bluer: it's just a familiar hue. We don't feel particularly young: we've experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom, taking its toll on our bodies, and created our memories. I hope we've got what it takes to make our love last. As a bride, I had Scott's wedding band engraved with Robert Browning's line "Grow old along with me!"

We're following those instructions :

"If anything is real, the heart will make it plain."
There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn't expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some love that don't go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be blessed to end up with that somebody who has a little of that insanity. Somebody who never lets go. Somebody who cherishes you forever.

SpeedLimitz

2006-11-27T03:30:00.000-06:00

Forwarded by a friend...

No updates

2006-11-26T12:28:00.000-06:00

yes yes... i know... no updates ever since... been so busy with alot of stuff right now. :(

got so much ideas, so little time!

ill set off a big bang soon when i get the time to unleash my dorkiness. :)

Frienster Classifieds US Launch

2005-08-18T13:49:00.000-06:00

We just launched Friendster Classifieds US! Check it out!

igolf, isuck... :(

2005-06-02T13:01:00.000-06:00

man... i suck at this sport... :(

"can you change this, can you change that" - in a designer's mind

2005-05-09T07:08:00.000-06:00

Most of the times I find myself crafting web designs and user interfaces... I think most designers will agree that a good designer will need to take some time to think and analyze the ui/layout and take a crack at it "ALONE", paper sketch it, make a draft in Adobe Photoshop or any graphic editor, then check to see if its even good. If it's not, he'll make changes until he comes up satisfied and say "Hey, this is Ok, this is already good".

According to a friend, "There should be already a task map and/or sitemap before anything is designed. UI is left to designer or to information architect to decide on."

That's the only time he'll show it to his teammates (prolly a web team comprises of a project manager, developer/designers) confidently that his work is already a good one. The teammates now will have the turn to check/analyze/see if it really does makes it to their likings. There's a 99.9% possibility that may say that you have to change this, change this to that, and so on and so forth...

The work it taken back to the drawing board to correct/change the team's suggestions then check if it's good again, show to team, etc.. etc... Cycle goes on until all are satisfied.

It's a sad part that most clients/project managers think that dictating the designer on designs/layouts, sitting behind the designer's back, is the fastest course to go. Well, you are wrong. It does not only limit the creativity of the designer, but also make the designer feel he's under pressure and that the client/project manager can do a better job...

This is an enlightenment for project managers/clients who has the "can you change this, can you change that" attitude while the designer is still thinking how to lay it out.

Let him be on his own first. When he/she is finished and calls his/her work "good", then it's the time you can start saying... "can you change this, can you change that, etc.."

Bono - Mac or PC buddy?

2005-04-30T06:43:00.000-06:00

Friendster Blog...

2005-04-22T23:47:00.000-06:00

i got my new F blog. now, got to maintain both blogger and fblog. :(

-- the new fblog with the pusit banner ;)

happy birthday to me... in the hospital. :(

2005-04-07T04:06:00.000-06:00

i celebrated my bday 04/02/05 at the hospital. then pope john paul II died. oh men, what a week that was... soo sad... :(

pusit.com

2005-03-23T12:18:00.000-06:00

redesigned and up! check out the site!

here's our blog page

pusit.com re-design on the way (again)

2005-03-08T12:13:00.000-06:00

visit Pusit soon!

Defensive Design for the Web

2005-03-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

Terence just gave me a book by 37signals. Thanks! Silently telling me to improve on my usability... hehehe... :)

Is that a powerbook on the background? :P

Taking Lives

2005-01-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

Twist and turns are great! A lot of it I didn't even see it coming. Nice! Keeps you guessing...

http://www.warnerbros.de/movies/takinglives/

****

:)

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

2005-01-25T12:15:00.000-06:00

Didn't like this Clive Owen movie at all... Sucked... *

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319531/

:(

Furby Toy

2005-01-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

Around 3AM while working on a project, our cute Furby suddenly uttered "Play with me!"...
It really gave me the creeps!!!

;)

Danny Deckchair

2005-01-13T08:28:00.000-06:00

It was fun watching this movie. A different one indeed!

****

;-)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337960/

pusitblog

2005-01-03T04:56:00.000-06:00

pusitblog

Happy New Year!

2004-12-31T13:11:00.000-06:00

Happy new year to all! May 2005 be a good year for all of us...

The Last Samurai

2004-12-11T11:54:00.000-06:00

There were a lot of movies I missed because of work and the "The Last Samurai" was one. It was good! The fight scenes were awesome, especially on the rising action part. Cruise just made it totally cool! I'll give this one five stars... *****

Oh and one more thing... Koyuki is so cute... ;-)

B-)

Incredible!

2004-11-06T06:56:00.000-06:00

I think no one has ever done something like this before! The movie "The Incredibles" was so entertaining, hilarious and everything else was sooo unique. One of the best movies I've seen in my whole life. Pixar rules!

*****

Watched it with Terence and Ross (Udeko Team)... ;)

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

2004-10-14T11:38:00.000-06:00

Just went to the movies with Ross and Terence = Udeko Team and saw SCWT. Well, the film was very original and unique. And it was verryy gooood seing it on THX. WOW! However, it lacks the twist and turns, the plot was predictable and the chemistry of GP and JL really did not make it to my likings. ;)

Anyway, "Good job, Dex!"

*** :-)

Man on Fire

2004-10-13T06:28:00.000-06:00

Yeah! It was one of those movies that has all the drama Denzel can give. Touching and what an unexpected ending... ***** ;-)

See it!

Warriors of Heaven and Earth

2004-10-09T11:59:00.000-06:00

Warriors of Heaven and Earth

Just watched this and it was sooo good. No fuss, just pure action! I recommend it to all of you!

.INFO Domains part II

2004-09-07T09:10:00.001-06:00

Got another one for AJSB...

:)

.INFO Domains

2004-09-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

Get your FREE .INFO domains at Domainsite.

I got mine! Check it out...

My Gmail

2004-09-05T07:32:00.000-06:00

Oh man, my Gmail is full-packed after 2 weeks of not checking it!

Gmail Invites

2004-08-30T11:35:00.000-06:00

Hey! I have 6 Gmail Invites! Refer someone to Techhive and I'll give you one invite... :)

Udeko and Me

2004-08-16T01:14:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah, been busy with udeko and this is only my second post for blogger since 2001. Yeah, that was quite long. I think this time I'll be able to update this site often. My site has been always there to say the things I usually get busy with...

2004-05-22T23:38:00.000-06:00

hellow... how dee? This is a redesign of my TechHive.net...

True Power + Serious Technology.

2001-11-14T03:42:00.000-06:00

Hi there,
Welcome to "Ang Munting Bahay ni Jose"!
Please feel free to browse my homepage.
Sincerely,
Jose