Apple Special Event on September 5

Just a public service message, just in case any one (of my 3 readers -- this is getting old) is planning to buy an iPod soon: Unless you're planning to get a shuffle, here's my advise: Dont' buy an iPod now. Wait for the announcement here on September 6.

The Google Mobile Phone OS?

You probably heard about the rumored Google phone / OS, since this has been blogged to death many times already. My hesitation to jump in though is that nobody was really sure if indeed there's a hint of truth to this. If I remember it correctly, the image on the left of what is rumored to be a Google phone showed up around the same time Steve Jobs announced his baby to the world.

Things have changed though, with Crunchgear having the confirmation from a senior (and anonymous) HTC executive that the company has made around 20 devices for Google to test the new mobile OS on. Another blogger have claimed earlier to have gotten the confirmation from a Google insider (who, according to the blogger wasn't entirely sure if he can or can't talk about the rumored google phone) that Google is indeed working on a mobile phone.

Now engagdet is reporting that the project could have started around 2005 after Google acquired a mobile company called Android. At last, 2 years after we began to wonder about the fate of the technology and (talents) brought by this acquisition, things seem to be starting to make sense.

Google could indeed be developing a Mobile phone OS, and according to the Engadget article, it's based on Linux and offers a plethora of customizations targeted for hardware manufacturers. It has also been said that Google has the developing market as its target and that the Phone OS integrates very well with Google's products.

Having tried Motorola's linux-based handset, I strongly feel that the industry needs a mobile linux implementation that doesn't put a taint on the Linux name with such a crappy UI (not that Linux is known for it). With the iPhone setting the bar for what a good mobile phone UI is like, things are starting to become interesting.

New Nokia Models: Black is Back

I don't usually blog about mobile phones simply because following them can really become dizzying because of the speed at which new models arrive. I made a few exceptions though, with (of course) the iPhone, and my one-night fling with the Samsung Blackjack.



So add this to those two exceptions: According to the gadget blog GearFuse, Nokia is releasing new phones soon, and what caught my eye here is the new update to the super nokia phone N95. Now dubbed as a music edition, it features 8gig of internal memory and my favorite part: it now comes in black. One of my pet peeves in the previous version is that it got a cheap-ass material for its external enclosure that if you didn't know about its features (everyone knows it kicks iPhone's ass, feature-wise), you'd be hard-pressed to buy it because really, it just looks (and feels) like a cheap phone. Okay. Rant over, and thanks Nokia for listening to my thoughts, and probably to a million of your users' feedback. :)

For more details on these new phones, just read the post on Gearfuse.

(image taken without permission from GearFuse)

Ubuntu Blog Entry Poster Test

Will It Post? [Edited in blogger]

I've been setting up our new (hand-me-down) pc at home and I'm currently fixing some things in Feisty.

Currently testing the Gnome Blog client. As with most Gnome apps, this is pretty freaking bare. I hope this works; anyway that's what matters most.

[Update]: It did post, but it didn't put on the correct title. Oh well, I'm manually adding one. Minus 10 pogi points (the title should be a pretty minor thing). No posts management either.

Disclaimer:
This application doesn't come with the default Ubuntu installation, so this really shouldn't count against the distro. I hope this app improves over time though. Next: another blogging app: BlogGTK.

OMG. iPhone Unlocked

[Updated]
Engadget reports that a team called iPhonesimfree has finally unlocked iPhone for use in any network inside and outside of the US. The hack is pure-software, so it's the iPhone dream that everyone was really looking for. Although iphonesimfree is not yet releasing the software, I believe the Engadget guys (that's saying a lot about Engadget, coming from me) when they say that this is the real thing.

Okay, so just in case this hasn't sinked in yet, this means that the "jesusphone" is coming to the philippines earlier than everyone was expecting.

I probably won't join the bandwagon just yet though. I will just wait for the official release here in the Phil, but that's mainly because i can't afford to buy one yet. Also, I'm still waiting for Apple to add some hardware features and software apps to the iPhone (MMS, Video-camera, Todo list app, etc.), and here's hoping that those upgrades will grace the offical Asian release next year.

For those who are ready to take the jump, this is the good news that you've all been waiting for. :) I couldn't be any happier for you.

(image taken without permission from Engadget.com)

Update:

• An earlier hack has been published by another team, but this involves both software and hardware hacks, so it's not really for the faint of heart.
• A third team, one owned by the owner of uniquephones said that they will be selling software for unlocking an iPhone in iphoneunlocking.com

"Hello... Is anyone here?"

I know. What's the point of making your blog more readable and usable when there's really nothing to read? I've been really busy with many things preparing for the next thing (more on this soon) so i haven't posted here (and will probably remain that way in the next weeks or so).

I've had my own share of unfulfilled blog post promises, so I'm not about to make another. I'm just dropping a note to let my three readers know that this blog is alive, well sort of. :)

No time to blog, so this only means one thing: bullet points..

• Compiz on Feisty (translation: 3d desktop in Ubuntu) is freaking awesome.
• Why I want an iPhone? One word: software.
• My brother and his family just moved to Australia, so the next time we'll see them is three years from now.
• I'm sure you noticed this before, but the Geek Dash section of my sidebar is actually a feed from my tumblog. (powered by my del.icious, tumblr, this blog (recursive yeah!) and some of the things i stumble upon online)
  
• So many things to blog about, so little time before guilt strikes in (for blogging and not working). Have to go kids...
  

So, till my next update. Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!