Friendster Reset

THE NEWS

     This happens to most things invented, at some time they are at their peak but time will come that something new will replace it's place. Remember the days of the casette tapes? Now they are gone. Same thing is happening to the pioneer social networking site Friendster. After its launch in 2002, Friendster has become a fad and attracted millions of user all over the world. Then suddenly Facebook came and we are all witness to the the huge transfer of users. Some did not delete their accounts at Friendster but never logged in to their account for very long time.

The official message of Friendster to its users

     Now Friendster is attempting to regain their popularity by "reinventing" itself. They now issued an announcement that the account contents such as photos, messages, comments, testimonials, shoutouts, blogs, forums and groups will be deleted on May 31, 2011. You will no longer have access to it unless you back it up by using their application Friendster exporter. This application will also give you the option to export to Flickr or Multiply. But Friendster assures that you will still have the same email login and password in the new Friendster.  Also, your list of friends will be preserved, along with your basic profile information.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

     As stated on Friendster help pages, "We are introducing a new and improved Friendster in the coming weeks that will be focused on entertainment and fun. There will be new features that will leverage on your online activities and will enable you to connect with friends or engage new friends with similar interests.
For example, if you are playing games or listening to music but none of your friends are, your social experience may be limited. Our improved site is designed to create new profiles that allow you to connect differently with people and do things differently than other networking sites. Basically, the new site will complement your existing online presence in other social networking sites."

     Sounds like you can also link your Friendster account to your other accounts just like Facebook did with the Facebook connect. Anyway change is good and the healthy competition will benefit the users with much more useful services.


Avoid Fraud

Avoid fraud: How to protect yourself

     Found this useful information from unicef's website. It is so sad that people nowadays are so insensitive that they even use the names of organizations that serve a better purpose. Be vigilant and wary, dont fall for scammers techiniques. They often use social engineering to trick you on giving out information that will be used for scamming. Sometimes religion is also used in the form of chain emails. The sole purpose of which is to gather as many valid email addresses as they can which will be sold to spammers. This is very effective since most people just forward the email and you can see all the email addresses of the other persons it has been forwarded to. You can even get relevent informations about a persons job title, address and contact numbers as most of the time this forwarded emails also contain the signatures of the persons that does not want to break the "chain". Ever wonder why unsolicited email pile up on your inbox?

Things That A Driver Should Know

     The following pointers are provided by the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) and are good to know if you are driving in Manila, Philippines. You can also view this and other updates on the official MMDA website http://www.mmda.gov.ph/

• MMDA Enforcers are not allowed to group together while apprehending a motorist. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of two (2) or more, except in actual times of special operations (e.g. apprehending groups of smoke-belching/colorum buses).
• Swerving is not a traffic violation. It is defined as a movement wherein vehicles shift from a lane to another. However, it can constitute the offense of reckless driving if it is done without precautions (e.g. swerving in an abrupt and careless manner, swerving without the use of signals).

USB Modem Settings

     Today internet has become mobile with the introduction of USB modems. You can choose from different providers that offers the same services. You just consider signal strength and availability as well as the packages and promos they offer.

     The following are the settings for some of the different network providers that I have used. You can just put up a new profile to your existing USB modem software interface and use any USB modem for that. You can also try to get an openline USB modem or unlock your existing one.

USB modems in black and white

Product Review: Pacsafe MeshSafe B200

SPECIFICATIONS
(As stated on the pacsafe website)

• Materials: 840D nylon, 1680D polyester, high-tensile stainless steel wire
• Dimensions: 36 x 48 x 19.5 cm / 14.4 x 19.2 x 7.7 in
• Laptop sleeve dimensions: 29 x 34.5 x 5 cm / 11.5 x 13.6 x 2 in
• Volume: 25 L / 1526 in3
• Weight: 1.3 kg / 2 lbs 14 oz
• Model # 20200 Black / Silver Liner

FEATURES
(As stated on the pacsafe website)

• Fully padded removable laptop sleeve - fits most 15” laptops
• Front zippered compartment with removable organiser panel
• 1 fixed padded electronic gadget pocket
• 1 removable padded electronic gadget pocket can be attached to shoulder strap for convenience
• Water bottle / compact umbrella side pocket
• Padded adjustable shoulder straps
• Padded air mesh back support
• Anti Theft Features:
• eXomesh® Slashguard front and bottom panels
• Slashproof adjustable shoulder straps
• Snatchproof shoulder strap allows the bag to anchor to a secure fixture
• Tamperproof zippers

My MeshSafe B200 full of my stuff

 USER REVIEW
Date and place of purchase: December 17, 2009, The Travel Club, Alabang Festival Mall
Price: Php 6000.00

Pros:

• Very tough and durable bag. This is the very first bag that survived me for a year. I've been using it for more than a year now but its still in good condition. The average lifespan of my previous bags is less than six months.
• I love the removable laptop sleeve. For a guy like me that is always on the move, its been a comfort to just slip out the sleeve just in case I dont want to bring along my laptop.
• The removable organizer panel keeps your small gadgets and flash drives handy.
• The anti-theft features really give me a peace of mind while travelling. The cable reinforced shoulder strap can be attached to an airport bench or a bus stations' chair while waiting to board. This prevents someone to just pick up your bag and walk or run away.



My personal portable safe MeshSafe B200

Cons:

• Quite expensive price tag
• I did not find the removable padded electronic gadget pocket that can be attached to shoulder strap mentioned on the product features.