Typhoon Caused Slow DSL Connection

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It was yesterday morning, around 10am (in the Philippines) when I experienced sudden slow DSL connection. I called up my internet provider, PLDT. The CSR told me that there was a major problem in the system and they are currently working it out.

This morning, nothing change, a turtle speed connection. I can’t even have a good connection on my mobile to check my emails. It seems, this is unsual than “normal“.

There are many subscribers complaining to PLDT including me, but as I’ve said this wasn’t normal than before. After so many connection attempts with slow DSL connection, I found out that typhoon Kiko with international name typhoon Morakot caused the slow Internet connection affecting Philippines and Singapore, a cut in the APCN2 (Asia-Pacific Cable Network 2) undersea submarine cable crippled connection speeds for users in the Asia-Pacific region.

So, to pinoy subscribers, let’s stop complaining to PLDT and other DSL providers, reportedly, connection will be back to normal on Thursday night in Singapore, an hour advanced in the Philippines.

To entrecard droppers, my apologies. Tomorrow morning (Friday), I hope our connection will be okay.

New FExplorer Beta Version Is Out

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expired FExplorer betaI was using FExplorer 1.18 beta version. Last week when I clicked on FExplorer using a short key, I was surprised that a pop up message prompted. It says “This beta version is expired, please visit www.gosymbian.com”

FExplorer is a 3rd party file manager mobile application, its convenient for me using FExplorer than using the built-in file manager. Actually, I’ve tried other mobile applications but I am more comfortable using this especially for my mobile ebooks. Please check this post on how to open different ebook formats.

Anyway, why using beta version when all versions are freewares? FExplorer 1.17 is freeware for 1st and 2nd edition in different language translations, the beta version is 1.18 (for 2nd ed) and 1.18 (for 3rd ed). I prefer using the latest version even if there’s an expiration. So when I received such pop up shown in the screenshot, I downloaded the latest beta version at www.gosymbian.com.

Another good thing with the beta version is its compatible with 2nd and 3rd edition. Take note that the new beta version will expire “again” at the end of November 2009. I just hope that the developer will soon remove the expiration date.

Download:
FExplorer v1.17 (1st and 2nd edition, no expiration)
FExplorer v1.18 beta (2nd edition)
FExplorer v1.21 beta (3rd edition)

UCALL: Unlimited Call From Globe Telecoms

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Good news and bad news to Globe prepaid and postpaid subscribers! Globe Telecoms are currently offering Unlimited Call, that’s the good news. The bad news is… the promo is available to selected provinces only.

It could be for testing purposes, a dry run if they could offer it nationwide. I hope they do because other rival companies already did long time ago. Even before the House Senate signed the new guidelines for longer expiration of prepaid loads and other communication issues.

UCALL: Unlimited Call From Globe Telecoms

Going back, UCALL promo is available only to provinces: Catanduanes, Guimaras, Marinduque, Masbate, Occidental Mindoro, Aklan, Capiz, Quezon Province and Sorsogon. If you’re currently in these areas, your lucky. UCALL30 is good for 1 day and UCALL100 is good for 5 days. However, UCALL30 is available only in Catanduanes, UCALL100 is available to all provinces I mentioned.

According to Globe CSR (Customer Service Representative) I called earlier, the UCALL promo started in July 23 and will end in August 22, 2009. One month only! Who knows, they might offer it nationwide just like other telecom companies. I hope and I wish.

To avail the promo, a subscriber needs to register first. To register, type:

UCALL30
UCALL100

and send to 8888 (or 2868)

Take note that this is UCALL, unlimited call 24 hours day and different from UNLICALL NYT that offers unlimited call from 11 pm to 6am only. Also, if you are near the provinces I mentioned above, there’s no harm in trying. A friend in Batangas is allegedly using the UCALL promo.

UPDATE: Please comment if you tested the promo in areas not mentioned above. So far, additional areas are some parts of Laguna and Batangas.

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NTC Memorandum: Guidelines On Prepaid Load

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The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) had issued the Memorandum Circular dated July 3, 2009 with the subject titled as “Guidelines On Prepaid Load” to TelCos (Telecommunication Companies) such as Smart Communications, Globe Telecoms, Sun etc. This is in response to complaint of Senate President Enrile about the mysterious disappearance of his prepaid load.

I’m glad that finally, they took action on this issue. A memorandum that will benefit all the prepaid users and not the telecom companies. A friend of mine will be glad that he don’t need to call me using his mobile phone when his load was about to expire. He always buy Php300 load and he is not a heavy user or texter. He doesn’t even avail of call and txt promos.

NTC Memorandum: Guidelines On Prepaid Load. New expiration or validity period are as follows:

Prepaid Load Purchased
 Expiration/Validity Period
P10 or lower 3 days
P11 to P50 15 days
P51 to P100 30 Days
P101 to P150 45 Days
P151- P250 60 days
P251 – P300 75 days
above P300 120 days

I don’t know if there are telecom companies that charges for balance inquiry through TXT messages but the TelCo sim I used doesn’t charged me for balance inquiry.

However, the memorandum states that for each new load that is purchased, the amount of the unused loads earlier purchased that are still within the validity period shall be added to and accumulate to the new load. The new minimum validity or expiry period shall be based on the sum of the new load plus the unused load.

I hope Senate will still investigate other problems of subsribers (prepaid and postpaid) like GPRS browsing rates and unsolicited downloads. I do have unsubscribed downloads years ago, instead of changing my sim (that means new mobile number) I called up customer service and asked for removal of all the subscriptions I accidentally subscribed. That’s it! I don’t have to worry that the downloads will be charged to next purchased load.

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What Is Raw Document?

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I heard the term from a client, she asked me if I prefer to receive the raw document or the manuscript (for hard copy book printing). Of course, I want to see the real layout so I can make the eBook almost the same as the hard copy book. Technically, a raw document is a material without any formatting, almost like a TXT file but its in MS Word. If a manuscript is intended for printing, it will take a lot of time making it “raw” and edit the file again to make it ready before ebook conversion to a certain ebook format.

When creating an ebook, I prefer MS Word Doc specially if the document will be converted to different multiple ebook formats. Don’t let what you saw on your MS Word window deceived you, most often than not if its the manuscipt for printing, the layout will be printed as it is. And when its converted to ebook, depends on the ebook format, the ebook output will be different.

Its a good idea to install certain ebook reader software to your computer to check on the layout if its perfect. If its possible to use mobile emulator to see the output on handheld device, the better. Its best if you can test the actual ebook on your mobile (if its a mobile ebook).

Am I making any sense? My apologies, I’m still not feeling well.

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