The Evolution and Possible Future of Television

It all started with the lowly monochrome television that did its part well. Until now, its shape or form continues to be a recognizable icon for television.

Then came the color CRT's. The addition of color was a breakthrough. More colorful shows meant more enjoyment. More enjoyment inspired the spark (or may have been the spark itself) couch potato culture.

To address the need desire for bigger screens, the rear projection TV's came to being. CRTs couldn't efficiently be any bigger so new technologies were sought. The couch potatoes rejoiced.

After the desire for bigger screens was somewhat satisfied, a new "want" emerged: more vivid and higher resolution screens. The plasma TV's came out as some of the immediate answers.

As power prices rose and frequency of TV use increased, the need for technologies that could lead to lower TV power consumption was spotlighted. So came the LCD and LED TV's. By this time, the growing trend of 16:9 screens has slowly but surely displaced the 4:3 screen aspect ratio as the standard.

But people still wanted something fancy. So here comes 3D television. Doesn't make that much sense but surely piques consumer curiosities and interests.

But wants and new trends prove to be infinite. With the popularity of the Internet becoming too overwhelming to ignore, TV makers apparently saw the need to adapt and innovate. Comes the smart TV's or Internet-enabled TVs made smarter with the addition of components that traditionally resided only in computing devices.

So what's in store for the future? Click here to read more.

They are safe CJ bets because...

Dahil wala silang mga leeg.


They're probably the most independent candidates for the CJ post...if we were to believe that idiom about grabbing people by their necks.

What is hunger?

Jimmy Kimmel's Filipino KFC cheese top burger spoof

Yes, even this Filipino blogger is unable to resolve why the burger is called "Streetwise." It's the price? Nah...I'm not convinced.

Jimmy Kimmel spoofs PH KFC's cheese-topped burger

"DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW... DAW..."

Korina Sanchez            

An irked Korina mockingly kept repeating this word while reading a report on the PCOS machines being tested and proven tamper-proof by the COMELEC. His husband, Mar Roxas, currently has an election protest filed with the COMELEC over his loss to the former mayor of Makati, Jejomar Binay, in the 2010 Vice Presidential Election. The reason: tamperrring of the PCOS machines.

Half-half

If half of the Senate IS CORRUPT.

Does that mean that half of it IS NOT?

"Ito namang si Isko, kung umasta parang hindi mamamatay"

(paraphrased) 

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim   

   ...  responding to Vice Mayor Isko Moreno's rants, criticisms, and political attacks.

That certainly sounds like a death threat.

“Happy Father’s Day! This is the one day of the year when we fathers get to pretend we’re the head of the family.”

Rep. Dato Arroyo

Bangkok launches witty anti-smoking campaign

Thailand is currently running an anti-smoking campaign that employs kids in "tricking" adults to quit the habit, appealing to emotion while rightfully passing on the message of smoking's health risks.

The "Smoking Kid" campaign, created by Ogilvy Asia, is now gaining attention online with its YouTube video reaching more than 740,000 hits.

The video features a child casually approaching an adult (apparently an office employee) on a cigarette break having the following conversation:
Boy: "Can I get a light?"
Adult: "Don't you want to live and play?"

The conversation is then followed by the handing of a brochure that bears the message: "You worry about me. But why nor about yourself?"

Watch the video:

Samsung Galaxy S III allegedly explodes

The popular device from the South Korean electronics giant was reported by a consumer to have exploded stating that:  "suddenly a white flame, sparks and a bang came out of the phone."  

Samsung is currently investigating an alleged defect on its latest flagship smartphone after a consumer from Dublin, Ireland reported of his device "exploding" while sitting on his car's dashboard. The report was posted on a bulletin board Wednesday with the device allegedly emitting white flame and sparks shortly followed by a "bang" sound.


The real reason for the "explosion" is still unknown though the photo submitted by the Irish consumer shows that the device did not explode through the battery but through the part with which it was mounted on the dashboard. It may have been caused by the car mount and heating system as the submitted photo shows that the explosion apparently did not originate from the core of the device.


This is not the first time that a popular consumer electronics product has been reported for "explosions," overheating, and burning. In March, the battery of the SIII predecessor, the Galaxy SII, was reported to have "exploded" on a Korean schoolboy's back pocket. The iPhone was also reported to have "burned" while on a plane earlier. Likewise, the most recent version of the iPad was also reported to be overheating after heavy use.


Samsung said that their initial findings on the case found no fault on the device but they are still undertaking further investigations.

"Nung konting time na nagmulat siya ng mata, lahat kami nag-iyakan."

Eric Quizon

on their reaction concerning Philippine comedy icon Dolphy's condition.

Twitter's down and there's no way to tweet/retweet about it

Enters paradox. 

An overwhelming majority of netizens have gotten used to sharing and discussing the latest information and trends through Twitter, the most popular English language microblogging site (there's the Chinese version if you're wondering why "English language" needs to be emphasized). Now that there's a very compelling event to talk about—the site's own absence—it's beyond reach.

Twitter fails to load on any browser, client, or app as of posting time and there are no explanations yet regarding the outage. The noteworthy online platform for instantaneously sharing information couldn't facilitate the dissemination of details on why it's offline. Several news agencies have already contacted the Twitter admin for an explanation or announcement but an official answer is yet to be released.

Twitter only offers this brief post on its blog:

Users may be experiencing issues accessing Twitter. Our engineers are currently working to resolve the issue.

This is not the first time that Twitter has suffered an outage and as usual, the mob Internet lurkers are anxious to get an explanation or to have the site back.

Google readily presents the service Downrightnow on top of its results page for those who are turning to the search engine for an answer. Downrightnow lets users know whether a site is globally (translation: really/absolutely/totally) down or just down for certain users.

Well, on the bright side. Companies may expect some temporary increase in productivity in the next few minutes (or some hours hopefully). There may be also less bullying, nonsensical arguments, gossips, propaganda, and ranting on the Internet for the short period the site is absent.

************
UDPATE

Well, the site's now up and running again. The "in the next few minutes (or some hours hopefully)" I was mentioning couldn't really be that long.


image from Troy Janisch 

Adidas jogs controversy for introducing shoes with shackles

Adidas is being criticized for designing a pair of trainers accessorized with what appear to be "shackles" apparently meant to be worn around the shoe-wearer's ankles. The bright orange plastic "shackles," despite the color and make, are being compared by some to the shackles worn by black slaves in the 19th Century.

Adidas introduced the new footwear on Facebook and almost instantaneously sparked heated online discussions with a sizable number of Facebook users calling the product "offensive" and "ignorant."

Many are calling the Adidas move a "copycat" of the likewise controversial sneakers introduced by Nike called "The Black and Tan."

The outrage on the footwear mostly stem from the alleged obliviousness of companies to historical connotations.

Adidas has already decided to cancel the further production and sale of the controversial shoes after the outcry.

"Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."

Thomas Alva Edison
                                    

...a thought China could surely make good use of.

"Money is like an arm or leg - use it or lose it."

Henry Ford

Microsoft's line of tablet computers not posing any threat to the iPad

That seems to be the consensus among a number of analysts.

The name sounds lame though the overall package looks competitive enough. Still, it seems the iPad will continue dominating the tablet computer market. Many believe that the lack of interest among developers to produce applications (apps) for the device is going to be its major drawback.

The new Windows operating system is, as it is, new and deemed unlikely to pique the enthusiasm of app developers. There are no indications that Surface will become an iPad killer considering that even Android-powered devices from Samsung and other top electronic brands have not diminished the Apple brand in recent years.

For analysts, the most important factor that would pave the way for a tablet's success is its ecosystem. The apparent lack of interest from developers, as many in the know would put it, can spell failure for the new Microsoft product.

Surface is powered by the Windows 8 operating system, a software that is arguably less popular and less coveted at present. Apple's clout remains to be strong among consumers and Windows should find a way to increase its relatively scarcer than hen's teeth number of apps to meaningfully compete against iOS's.

Nevertheless, Microsoft Surface offers features that many should find interesting though they may not be enough for then to buy the product or to abandon their Apple loyalty.

Some of the highlights of the Surface are the magnetically-attached 3mm thin Touch Cover that folds down to serve as a comfortable touch keyboard. The device is also available in a variety of colors.

Here are the specs of the two versions of Microsoft Surface tablet:

Surface (Windows RT)
CPU    : Nvidia Tegra 3
OS       : Windows 8 RT
Display : 10.6 inches (resolution to be announced but is described as HD)
Thickness     : .37 inches
Weight  : 1.5 lbs.
Ports     : microSD, USB 2.0, micro HD video, 2x2 MiMO Antennae
Memory: 32/64
Camera : front and back
Battery  : 31.5 watt-hour

Surface (Windows Pro)
CPU    : Intel Core i5
OS       : Windows 8 Pro
Display : 10.6 inches (resolution to be announced but is described as HD)
Thickness     : .37 inches
Weight  : 1.5 lbs.
Ports     : microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2x2 MiMO Antennea
Camera : front and back
Memory: 32/64
Battery  : 42 watt-hour

The Florentino Floro Jr.

The person in the photo above used to be a Regional Trial Court judge. He was the infamous officer of the court who openly admitted that he consulted dwarfs and other supernatural beings in deciding on his court cases. To emphasize, that's Regional Trial Court or RTC—the very institution feisty Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago regularly invokes in mentioning one of her top qualifications (being  a former RTC judge). Floro was only sacked by the Supreme Court in 2006 upon his own admission of doing "super-unconventional" ways in performing his work as a judge.

According to (apparently) his blog, Floro graduated with second honors from the Ateneo de Manila University law school. He was in the top 20 of the 1983 bar examinations (12th at that) having obtained a grade of 87.55%. See the unauthenticated newspaper scan above.

Here, the bizarre former judge poses with his 1953 Winchester collection .22 rifle

The former judge had also concocted his own coconut healing oil.

Photos posted above are from florentinofloro2.blogspot.com 

Search for new PH CJ attracts cronies and looneys

In a not-so-unexpected turn of events, the vacancy left by former Chief Justice Renato Corona has been making news not just on account of its significance in Philippine government operation. The names nominated to succeed the impeached Chief Justice are also by themselves deemed newsworthy.

Many of the personalities floated to take the place of Corona are being associated with President BS Aquino.

One of them is UE College of Law Dean Amado Valdez who has been very obviously partial with his comments against the impeached SC chief. Amado Valdez had been on several TV and radio interviews to criticize Corona though he himself is also being the subject of unfavorable insinuations owing to an unflattering stint at one GOCC. He is a known sycophant of President BS Aquino.

Two other notable nominees for the CJ post are Justices Antonio Carpio and Lourdes Sereno. Both SC justices are considered to be shoo-ins for the position as they are perceived to "cooperative" with the BS Aquino administration. Sereno is an Aquino appointee while Carpio is a known GMA and Corona antagonist.

BS Aquino top officials Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and BIR Commissioner Kim Henares are also nominated for the position. Their "bedazzling" performances at the Corona impeachment trial prove to be brownie points too difficult to ignore.

Also in the serious running for the Chief Justice post are government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen, ex-congressman for Makati Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr, and former Solicitor-General Francisco "Frank" Chavez. Locsin is a known Cory Aquino ally but is a rabid critic of the BS Aquino administration.

By the bye, the "jokers" are also making some news.

Eyebrow-raising names that reached the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) include an unqualified applicant in the name of Jocelyn Esquivel, a non-lawyer. Esquivel is a nurse and teacher. A terminated regional trial court judge, Florentino Floro Jr., is also applying for the post. He was sacked by the Supreme Court in 2006 for his admission that he had been (and apparently would have continued doing so) consulting with dwarfs in making his court decisions. Floro, in his application, referred to himself as the "Chief Justice of the Universe."


Wanna know how Floro looks like? Click this link.

"Ako alam ko kung saan ako nanggaling, eh siya alam ba niya kung saan siya patungo?"

Ousted Pres Joseph Estrada  

This was allegedly said by the convicted plunderer ex-president when confronted by the issue of him being an "ex-convict" and Manila Mayor Lim an "ex-cop." Lim is expected to be the closest adversary of Estrada in the upcoming Manila mayoral race.

Mushroom cloud over Beijing sparks speculations

The appearance of an unusual cloud formation over the Beijing skyline has caused a stir as it somewhat resembled an atomic bomb's mushroom cloud. The uncommon eye-catching anvil-shaped cloud emerged 7:00 PM of June 14, accompanied by some thunder and lightning.

Many residents in Beijing expressed worries over the phenomenon with some fearing that it could be man-made and is a product of military testing. There were some, however, who shrugged it off as a natural occurrence wherein towering clouds are struck by sunlight causing light to be dispersed in astonishing colors.

Experts at the National Center for Atmospheric Research said that the "foreboding" phenomenon was simply a cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud that was high up in the atmosphere allowing sunlight to become visible in varying colors as reflected or dispersed through the clouds.

This phenomenon, according to experts, happens several times in different parts of the world. It is not extraordinary though it seldom appears over city skies or in places where many people can observe. Examples would be photos in this link taken just last month in the Philippines.



photo from wired.co.uk

Lawyer files "class suit" against Pacquiao-Bradley match result‽

Because we need some humor these days.

The Philippines is facing a destructive typhoon and fumblingly handling a territorial dispute issue against communist China. So here comes popular election lawyer cum impeachment trial analyst cum boxing enthusiast, Romulo Macalintal (Attorney Mac) to offer some temporary reprieve.

There's no doubt the entire Philippines believes Pacquiao was robbed of a victory against Bradley. Some folks seem to just want to take things to a higher level.

Macalintal filed a seven-page complaint addressed to Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. He expressed that he filed the complaint “as a boxing fan or enthusiast whose right to a fair and credible verdict in any sporting event, like the millions of boxing fans and enthusiasts, is entitled to the protection by the state where the said event is held.”

According to the lawyer, the complaint may be treated as a class suit representing boxing fans whose overwhelming voices of disapproval deserve to be heard.

The complaint was mailed on June 17 (Philippine time) with the attorney general's office expected to receive it a couple of days later.

Macalintal went to Las Vegas on June 3 to personally witness the Pacquiao-Bradley bout. His assertion is that the decision given by the judges was unfair and not reflective of the actual fight that took place in the MGM arena.

Macalintal said that he did not inform nor did he consult Manny Pacquiao about his actions. Maybe he wanted to skip the possible "Biblical" discussions.

Philippine Govt pulls out ships from Scarborough Shoal

As if it makes any difference.

Non-members of the yellow media report of the government's decision to pull out ships from the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal because of bad weather. However, palace lapdogs and pro-administration news agencies seem to put more emphasis on the government's "rethinking of redeployment."

The BS Aquino leadership is allegedly studying whether or not to send the ships back to "defend" the shoal. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario said that there is no certainty that the pullout will be permanent in the same way that a redeployment is not guaranteed. He also mentioned that China made a promise to call back their vessels.

Two ships—you're reading it right, just two—of the Philippine Government have been deployed in the Shoal as the Chinese sent multiple times more including fishing vessels shamelessly exhausting the resources of the area. The two ships are from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

It is really quite baffling how the government tries to show some degree of restraint in provoking the Chinese while openly prostituting the country's openness to America's support. Apparently, the government is just trying to make the most of the typhoon's presence to calm the issue with China a wee bit as it figures out what to do next.

Well, it's not like there's any genuinely winnable solution in sight at present.

The Possible Future of Television

Several concepts would come to mind if we examine the development of television. Many may sound ridiculous while still making sense. Let's compare notes. See if the ideas you could be thinking are presented below.

Concave Super Widescreen Television

Viewers complained about the black bands or "half screen" displays they had with movies showing at the 16:9 aspect ratio on their 4:3 TV's. Now that 16:9 TV's have become popular, movies and shows are getting shot at 21:9 screen ratio. What happens next? Shall we see 36:9, 100:9, or 150:9 displays in the years to come? There's no better way to prepare for this unfortunate trend than to have a super widescreen concave TV.

Full QWERTY TV Remocon cum Smartphone cum Videoke/Karaoke Microphone

Pictured above is the Sony QWERTY smart TV remocon. It's a good idea but it could get better if that remocon could actually be a smartphone. We wouldn't mind if it comes with a capacitive touchscreen and a microphone that effectively makes it a "Magic Sing" (videoke) microphone.

TV Camera and Mic for Video Calls also Doubling as CCTV Cam and Mic

CCTV's are becoming highly popular nowadays. If we can add practically useless cameras to mobile phones, why can't we add cameras to TV's that are usually positioned at opportune places for spotting interlopers.

Swiveling TV Screen

We surely want to nurture the couch potato culture so here comes a very appropriate "innovation."

Curtain TV

With TV's becoming slimmer and slimmer each year, it won't be very long before they exist as very thin image-projecting sheets that may serve as a curtain. If there are problems with glare, they can effectively—by themselves—block light from outside homes or offices.

Siri, S Voice, and Their Ilk on TV

There are TV's now that are already capable of responding to voice commands. If such is possible, it's inevitable for a Siri like feature to be included as one of  future TV highlights.

"In the language of the kanto boys, that means winning elections at all cost."

Ex Senator Nene Pimentel

...which makes everyone wonder where this octogenarian is living. Apparently, kanto boys in their neighborhood speak good and cultured English. Sounds like a Melanie Marquez gaffe. Or maybe it's the age?

Hate a website‽ Kick Ass and blast it away

There are websites you just love to hate. It could be due to the incessant ads, stupid or partial content, poor usability, or malicious presentations. There's the comment box to abuse when you want your two cents heard but sometimes, it does not suffice. Whatever it is in a web page that's bothering you, expressing all your accumulated disgust and repulsion can now be done more expressively with the help of Kick Ass.

Kick Ass is a browser bookmarklet designed to "destroy" websites. It is a game that allows Internet surfers to take a break and "wipe out" particularly annoying pages with the help of video game spaceships that fire blasters and bombs.

Of course, "destroying" here is only virtual. Kick Ass only creates a copy of the appearance of the website with all its elements converted into game items that can be blasted off. Playing Kick Ass can be addicting as it can be easily played by simply adding the bookmarklet (from the site) to the bookmarks bar on your browser. You only need to log in with your social networking account (or you can create an account at the site) and start playing with your cursor movement keys and space bar.

Screenshot:

Corgi Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe

They are safe CJ bets because...

because....










They're probably the most independent candidates for the CJ post...if we were to believe that idiom about controlling people by their necks.

“I have never been so ashamed to be associated with the sport of boxing as I am tonight.”

Bob Arum, on the upset victory of Timothy over Pacquiao made possible by a controversial split decision.

Bradley beats Pacquiao in controversial split decision

With two judges scoring the game 115-113 in favor of Bradley and one giving Pacquiao similar numbers, the Filipino pugilist hailed as one of the greatest in boxing history handed one of his championship belts to the undefeated professional boxer from California. Timothy Bradley is now the WBO Welterweight champion. The upset victory ended Pacquiao's seven-year winning streak as Bradley maintained an undefeated career record.

The announcement was met with boos from the overwhelmingly pro-Pacquiao MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd. The reaction was expected as the Compubox punch stats would later on justify. Pacquiao outboxed Bradley 253 to 159. He also landed 82 more power shots than his opponent.

Despite everything though, the boxer touted as the Pride of Philippines humbly accepted the judges' decision. He himself was the in the favorable receiving end of similar decisions before.

Coach Freddie Roach said they would call for an investigation on the disappointing matter. A sizeable number of boxing analysts worldwide likewise expressed disbelief over the results. However, although exclaiming disappointment over the results in one press conference, promoter Bob Arum appears to be more focused on having a rematch in the later part of the year.

Many allege that the fight was fixed or staged—that it was just aimed at making more money. Discussions on TV and on the radio even went on to take note of how Pacquiao allegedly held himself back. Conspiracy theorists are claiming that the goal of the alleged "fixed" fight was to stir controversy to maximize the revenue generation potential of a match perceived to be hardly as anticipated as the Pacquiao-Mayweather faceoff.

Caught on Cam: Shark Eats Giant Squid

This footage shows a shark slowly consuming a huge squid reported to be 15 feet long. More information at www.almcglashan.com.

The notorious Pacquiao-Mayweather rivalry

Adding to the clamor to finally bring to the ring two of the greatest boxers of all time is a viral video featuring action figures of the renowned fighters. The video was created using stop-motion animation technique, utilizing over 2,500 photographs. It took months to finally finish this amazing clip.

Bakit galit si Mommy D?

Kasi...






Kasi...






Kasi...





May nakita siyang babaeng MALASWAAA...

Ano ba yan Nene Nina?!